Second Chance
by S. McIntosh
Summary: Al and Ed have been through a lot together, but when Al makes a decision that has the potential to not only get him killed, but his loved ones as well, will he get a second chance? Elricest.
1. The Beginning

**Those of you who are still reading my Ouran fanfic (I'm praying somebody is) I'll probably finish it within the next couple of months. I've had many failed attempts at new chapters, so be looking for one to come out in the next couple of weeks. Anyway. I recently finished the FMA manga, which was amazing, so I decided to write a fanfic of it (with the help of a dear friend of mine, of course.) Enjoy~**

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><p>My brother, Edward, and I have been traveling the country of Amestris for a while now. Every since we unsuccessfully tried to bring back our mother, we've been trying to find a way to restore our bodies to our original state. I guess it's not as bad as it could be, although there have been many times we've been either beaten or almost killed. Since Brother is in the military, he has quite a few people after him without him knowing it.<p>

But, albeit we do have enemies, we've also done a lot of good in the places we've been. We've helped people, reconstructed towns, and helped rebuild destroyed buildings. Our lives are kind of like a double edged sword, to put it simply.

It's kind of refreshing to see all those people and to have them thank us for something that anyone, with a good head on their shoulders, would do. Even in a suit of armor, I can feel love and happiness. I have a human soul, if not a human body. I may not be able to feel physical things, I can still feel emotional things, which a lot of people seem to forget. Sometimes it's... Hurtful when I see people's reactions once they notice my armor is empty or that Edward has automail, but understandable. His is more much more common than mine, since people have war injuries and the like.

It's mildly shocking, as well, when people see something "bad" or "outrageous." It's like evil doesn't exist in the world (which is obviously does.) Maybe it's the fact that they choose to ignore it, and when it comes around, they don't expect it. It happens a lot which common villagers, which is where the beginning of our story starts. A lot of stuff has happened before this, but this very moment that I'm speaking of started a whole series of events that I wouldn't do over for anything. Not only did it teach me an important lesson, but it taught me the value of second chances.

~*~ Skipping Ahead ~*~

It started out like any other day; I had just gotten done shopping and I was preparing dinner while Brother was splayed out on the couch, taking a nap. However, I had left a window open to allow air circulation when a tiny creature, no bigger than a dog, appeared on the window sill. I didn't notice it until he jumped up, swearing so loud he put a sailor to shame.

"Calm down, Brother. It's just a baby chimera." I walked over to the window sill, picking the creature up in my arms.

"It almost bit my finger off!" After he flailed and cursed for a good five minutes, he sat down, examining his unharmed appendages. "Get rid of it."

"Why can't we keep him? He's so cute..."

"I don't care, get rid of it!"

I stare down at the tiny beast, sighing as I set him outside the door. "Go on, little guy. Go on." I prod him for a minute before he trots off, back into the woods. "Happy?"

"Very." Edward nods and flops on the couch, pulling a blanket over himself.

"I'm going out to town. Need anything?"

"No."

"I'll be back soon, then."

~*~ Later that Evening ~*~

I walk back into the house, setting my satchel (not to be mistaken with a man purse) by the door, peering into the living room as the snoring lump on the couch. "Great, his stomach's showing again..." I shake my head and sit in a corner, peering out the window like I always do.

Every night I find myself in a position similar to this. Brother sleeping, me sitting and staring out the window, thinking about all the things that no one can easily supply the answer's too. Why was my body taken while Brother only lost his arm? Why did our father leave us? Why did our mother die so soon? I sigh as I think, hugging my knees to my chest, staring at a spot on the floor.

Sometimes I manage to over think things. I don't mean to, it just kind of... Happens. With so much time on my hands and nothing to do, it's hard not to. Ever since the accident, this is how I've spent my nights. Alone in absolute solitude while Brother dreams. Sometimes he has nightmares and I lull him back to sleep with a song or soothing words, but he rarely has fits like that. He doesn't know it, at least I don't think he does. I kind of want to keep it that way, too. He's the type of person that wants to show a constant face; strong, courageous, and brave. He doesn't like to let people or down or show his vulnerable side, which is completely understandable. No one likes to show they vulnerable side, even if for a split second.

I chuckle softly, shifting around a bit as my mind drifts back to memories of my childhood. Sometimes, at unexpected moments, I get flashes of school or random moments with Winry and Brother. I'll be sitting and doing nothing in particular when a random moment crosses my train of thought. Some are nice, some are bad, but they're all the same to me. They all defined the person I am today, suit of armor or not.

I glance up as I hear a soft whimper, signifying another bad dream. As I make my way over to the couch, I sigh. Whenever Edward has a nightmare, he usually has the same one for a while, usually up to two months or so. Lately he's been having one where our mother dissolves into the Truth. He hasn't told me much about it, but I know best not to pester him. If I do it makes the situation worse and the dream starts showing up more.

"Shh. It's alright. Go back to sleep." I run my hand gently over his head, letting out a gentle sigh as I see him drift back to unconsciousness.


	2. The River

**This is chapter two of, if it isn't obvious, Second Chance. This chapter leads a little more into Alphonse's life when he's away from his brother and in chapter three, a major plot twist is going to be revealed. DUN DUN DUN! Anyway. I wanted to get the second chapter up ASAP so I could get onto the main story line. The first, like... Five are pretty much just filler so I can feel around and get comfortable with Al's POV. Now that my rambling is done and all... Enjoy~**

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><p>"Brother, want some breakfast?" I walk into the living room, a plate of bacon and eggs in hand, setting them on the table as a sleepy, very grumpy, Edward sits up on the couch.<p>

"I'm up... I'm up." He groans and shuffles to the bathroom, latching the door behind him. It's the same thing every morning; I make breakfast, he wakes up (in a bad mood, might I add) and locks himself in the bathroom for fifteen minutes. I then go back to the kitchen, clean everything, and come back out to see him fully dressed and munching away happily at bacon. In those fifteens minutes, his mood manages to do a complete 180. How it's possible, I cannot fathom, but so long as he isn't breaking anything, I don't care.

"Do you need anything from town?" I pick up my satchel (again, it's not a man purse) and stand by the door, awaiting his response.

"No..."

"Alright, I'll be ba-"

"Hey, Al?" He looks up at me, a piece of bacon teetering between two fingers.

"Yeah?"

"What do you go to town for?"

At this question, panic slowly starts to set in. Never once, in the course of the six months I've been going out everyday, has he asked me what I do. I guess it never really occurred to me that he paid so much attention, but I guess I was wrong. "Basic shopping, why?"

"I was just curious, is all." He looks away and back at his breakfast, a calm and mysterious silence setting over him. I stay for a moment longer before retreating out the door, grateful to be away from him.

My actions are definitely suspicious, I won't deny that, but I do have a purpose for them. He may not know exactly what that purpose is, sometimes I question it myself, but I always sum it up with I'm doing the right thing, albeit in a twisted perspective. With Edward having such a high status in the army and I, almost always, being the little brother that tags along, it can get pretty stressful on my part. Everyone says I'm not a nuisance, but I feel differently. I feel that if I had stayed the way I was before, no purpose other than to cook meals for him, I would never live up to his influence or status. I would never have a chance to shine.

Although the activity that I chose to partake in is sketchy at best, it jumpstarted me to achieve the position I want. It paved a pathway for me that any normal means of doing something wouldn't allow.

About an hour or two later, I find myself headed back to the house, a small grocery bag in hand. I unlock the door and put the bags on the table, like usual, looking up to see Edward, sitting at the table, his arms crossed and eyes set.

'_Crap... This can't be good_...' Immediately my thoughts go into overdrive, coming up with every possible situation, ranging from not so bad to me being repeatedly struck by lightning (a little out there, but it managed to work its way into my head somehow.)

"You were at the market for two hours..."

"Yeah, so?"

"Most people spend about thirty minutes at a small town market."

"I guess I'm not most people." I set my satchel by the door, a pang of fear running through me as I hear the chair scoot back and footsteps headed my way.

"Al, I don't like it when you keep secrets from me..."

"I'm not keeping secrets, honest." By the look on his face, I know he doesn't believe me.

"Please tell me?"

"Edward, I'm not keeping any secrets from you. I promise." I stare down at him, silently hoping this is enough for him to believe me for now. I rarely call him by his real name unless the situation is serious. Sometimes I bend this to benefit me if I don't want to talk about something or I'm in a really bad mood. It works, most of the time.

"Alright... But you'll tell me if something's up?"

I nod and hold up my hand. "I give you my word." This small act of humor manages to dredge a smile from his features, which is a good sign. If he were truly mad at me, he wouldn't smile at all. He would barely be able to keep his temper leveled.

"I'll take your word for it. Now let's go to the river. We haven't been there in a while."

I nod and follow him out into the backyard, easily weaving between the trees. The river is actually a small creek, not too far from the tree line. Brother and I would go there sometimes to think, look up at the clouds, or find supplies to further our alchemy studies. More often than not we end up laying about, doing nothing and completely forgetting what we intended to do.

I settle myself down on a spot near the water's edge as he plants himself next to me, his head next to my feet. I splay out my arms, apologizing as I hit his stomach, resulting in him letting out a soft, _oof!_

"Al?"

"Yeah?"

"Think we should go back to Risembool soon?"

I ponder this for a moment, responding slowly as I watch clouds drift overhead. "I think it would be nice, considering we haven't been back in a couple of months. I'm sure Winry and Granny miss us. Why?"

"I dunno... I just feel... A little lonely without them."

At his words I chuckle, trying to speak at the same time. "You... Like Winry, don't you?"

"S-shut up... I do not."

I sit up and stare at his red cheeks before falling back on the grass, laughing for a few moments more. "You're lovesick!"

"S-so...?"

"It's cute."

"Shut up..."

"Go for it." I finally calm down, my eyes lazily drifting across the sky. I had suspected Edward's feeling for a while, but never really wanted to comment on them in case I was wrong.

"Do you think she likes me back?"

"It's a definite possibility, considering all these years she's put up with you." At this he sits up, throwing a rock at me.

"You can be a major jerk sometimes."

"I learn from the best, Brother."


	3. Secrets Revealed

**Here's chapter three, written by myself and my bestest, most dearest friend who shall go unnamed because I am to lazy to find her fanfic name, but she knows who she is! Anyway. I am going to do my best to get a chapter up every couple of days (three or so.) If I'm not able to, I will make it up, I promise. Anyway. On with the story!**

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><p>I glanced up from my cards as I heard the door bust open, fear running through my soul as I saw my brother standing there, his face red with fury. '<em>Crap... Crap, crap, crap!<em>'

"This is what you come here and do everyday?" He stormed over to me and whipped my around, his brow furrowing as his voice grew in volume. "Did you think I wouldn't find out? Do you honestly think I'm that stupid? It's insulting, you know. I-"

I stand and place a hand on his shoulder, interrupting him in mid sentence, turning him to the door. "Now isn't a good time, Brother. Go home."

"Like hell it isn't a good time! We need to talk-"

"Yes, we do, but right now you have to go home." I give him one final push to the door, staring down at me as he walks back and pounds me on the chest.

"Don't tell me what to do! I'm the older brother!"

I place my hands on his shoulder and push him back to he won't hit me again. "Go home, Edward." I stand back and watch as he glances at me, his eyes widening a little. I only call him Edward in serious situations, and this just so happens to be one of the most serious I have found myself in.

"Alright..." He let out a frustrated groan and stepped outside, slamming the door behind him. Not soon after he left, I emerged, closing the front of my armor.

"Alphonse, we need to-"

"When we get home. I have to make a few stops, first." I turn on my heel and head down the street, towards the bank in the center of town. I glance around, focus my gaze on a young woman behind a counter in the corner and give her a nod, heading up to the counter, Edward in tow.

"The usual, Alphonse?" She glances up at me, a pen in hand.

"Yes, ma'am." I quickly empty the contents of my chest into a burlap bag, cringing inwardly as I heard Edward gasp.

"A-A-Al... W-where..."

"Hush. We'll talk back at the house." I take a small slip of paper from the girl, slipping it into the pocket on my loincloth. I head out the door, Edward rushing behind me, a jumble of small sentence fragments coming from his mouth.

"When did you... Where did... How did... Why didn't you... What could you have been... I can't believe it..."

I sigh and push open the door, closing it behind me as he rushes in front of me, his hands on his hips. "Tell me what's going on right now, Alphonse."

I nod and point to a seat, which he reluctantly takes as I sit across from him. "I'm... In a gambling ring."

"No dip, Sherlock. What else?"

"I've been involved for a few months, ever since we visited Master Izumi in the South." I fidget a little, avoiding eye contact by looking out the window, at the floor, at my feet, anything to escape his angry stare.

"What else?"

"You know that guy we were tracking down about a month ago... The... Undertaker?"

"Yeah... Why?"

"Um... That's me..." At this comment he shoots from the chair, causing it to fall against the wall, sliding onto the floor and emitting a loud thud.

"You have got to be kidding me!"

"No... And there's one other thing you should know about." I fidget again, sliding my hand along my opposite forearm.

"You didn't kill anyone, did you?"

I stare up at him, shaking my head quickly. "No no no! I didn't kill anyone!"

"Then what is it?"

I pull my hand off, letting a silver pocket watch fall onto my lap, staring down as he picks it up, his tone and expression darkening. "You didn't..."

"I'm sorry, Brother!" I stand as my hands curl into fists, my voice wavering as I see tears brim his eyes.

"You weren't supposed to end up a dog of the military..."

"It's just so stressful! Sometimes you get injuries I can't take care of, and if your research funds are exhausted I can't take care of you..." I stare down at my feet, my back rigid. "I... I just want to protect you, live you've protected me all these years..."

I glance up as I feel him walk forward, pressing the watch into my hand. "You don't need to do that, Al... I'm the older brother..."

"Doesn't look like it from here." I smirk and chuckle as I see his brows furrow in a split second of aggravation.

"You're a jerk, you know that?"

I nod and sit down, fumbling with the watch before he hugs him, an act he so rarely partakes in. "Brother?"

He pulls away from the gesture, turning on his heel so I can't see how red his face is. "I'll be back inside in a minute. Get dinner started, will ya'?"

I watch him leave, peeking out the window as he climbs into a tree and pulls leaves off a branch. I shake my head and begin to boil the water, humming as I go along. Every since I can remember, Brother has climbed up trees when he has an issue or needs time alone. Mother was always telling him to get down or he would cut himself up, but did he listen? No. Not even when he got a gasp in his leg from sliding down the trunk.

I plate the pasta, peeking out the window as I see him toss yet another branch to the ground. "You're killing the tree, you know." My voice startles him and he jumps, nearly clinging to the branch and evading a harsh ten foot tumble to the ground.

"Al, you're a jerk!"


	4. Betrayal

**Hey ya'll. c: If you guys haven't noticed, I've changed this fanfiction into a... *drum roll* YAOI! Yay. I got bored with regular romance and decided to try my hand at it. I'm not sure if it's going to be lemon or not (maybe one chapter, but not that hardcore) so look out for that. I'll also be upping the rating just in case I decide to do lemon. I may also change my Ouran fanfic to be a little lemony as well, but I'm not entirely sure at this point.**

**Oh, don't forget to rate, review, and all that jazz. ANYWAY! On with the chapter!**

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><p>"Alphonse, is Fullmetal here?" I glance out the opened window, a little surprised to see Colonel Mustang in regular, everyday clothes. Every time I've seen him, he was either wearing his uniform or a suit for professional, yet casual gatherings.<p>

"He went out to town a few moments ago. He should be back shortly if you would like to wait for him." I turn back to my cooking, peering down at the small slices of vegetable as Mustang seats himself at the dining table. "Would you like any coffee?"

"Yes, please." He sets his bag down, glancing around the small room. I put on the coffee pot, setting a saucepan on the stove.

"Sugar?"

"Two, please." As I tend to the sauce I'm making, I stifle a small chuckle as I hear him speak. "It's awfully small... Knowing your brother I would have expected him to pick a larger home. Maybe a cabin."

"I'm the one that picked it out, this time. He was planning on it, but we don't really need that much space since it's just the two of us." I scoop the noodles into the sauce, rinsing out the pot and setting it in the sink. Every time Brother picks a place to stay, it's either extravagant and big or extremely tiny and poor. He can't find a balance between the two, which is where I come in.

"I'm not saying it's not nice or any-"

"I know what your saying, Colonel. Would you like lunch?"

"Oh... Yes, please." I place a plate in front of him, looking towards the door as I catch a glimpse of a blond head whizzing passed the window.

"Al! I brought home some of those purple thingies you like." As he sets a small bouquet on the table by the door, he stops and stares at the raven haired man sitting at the dining table. "What is he doing here?"

"I came to talk with you about a private assignment." Mustang wipes his mouth, nodding to thank me for the pasta. I return the gesture, setting both the pots to soak, putting the pasta away in the fridge.

"I don't want whatever assignment you came to give me." Brother crosses his arms over his chest, glaring up at the colonel. I shake my head and grab my bag, headed to the door.

"Take whatever assignment he gives you, Brother. It can't be all bad." I shut the door just in time to stifle his protests, silently wondering if I heard Mustang laugh. He never laughed... I probably imagined it.

~*~ One Hour Later ~*~

"No! I'm not doing this anymore!" As I enter the house, I watch as my brother runs into the living room, is shirt unbuttoned and exposing his chest as he backs into a wall. I set my bag on the floor, my eyes widening as I see Mustang follow him, his shirt off and his pants unzipped.

Normally, I don't curse, but this particular instance was an exception. "What the hell is going on?" I cock my head to the side a little, my mind switching from shock, to confusion, to anger. I had an idea of what was going on, but why was it happening and why Mustang and my brother were the ones doing it.

"N-n-nothing..." Edward sank onto the couch, glaring up at Mustang, obvious fear in his eyes. Mustang simply stared at me, his eyes and expression portraying nothing but his trademark smirk.

"Get out. Right now." I slam open the door, causing it to break from the hinges and crack the frame.

"Alphonse, be reasonable..." He steps forward, his hands up in a defensive position.

"Get. Out. Of. My. House." I glare down at him, causing him to flee from the room and stumble outside. I send an equally hard look to my brother, stepping outside, returning a few moments later.

"A-A-Al... I..." He lets out a scared noise, staring down at his feet as I fix the door, quickly turning to him. I never get mad. Never. If I do, it's probably because someone hurt those I love or something close to the sort. Even so, I've never been more furious than I was after seeing what I had witnessed.

"Shut up. I have nothing to say to you." I turn away from him, headed to the kitchen. I turn on the water, letting the last of the pasta sauce wash away before I scrub them with soap. I can here him moving behind me, but at this point, I don't care. He yelled at me for a stupid silver watch, but he goes behind my back and... I can't even think about it.

"Al... Are you okay?"

I turn around, staring down at him. If I had a real body, I would have been crying at that point. "Okay? You really expect me to be okay? I may be in this tin can, but that doesn't mean I don't have a heart!"

"What do you mean, Al...?"

"You know damn well what I mean, you bastard!" I push passed him, headed to the back door, stopping for a moment when he grabs my hands.

"No, I don't know." I glance back at him, turning away as I see his eyes full of worry, tears welling up. I can't stand to see him cry and he knows it.

"Forget it. Your dinner is in the fridge." I yank my hand from his grasp, running out of the house, headed for the river. All those feelings I had for him... Night after night, calming him after a nightmare. Protecting him while he slept, knowing that's when he was most vulnerable. Every day, getting him up and making him breakfast, knowing he was too groggy to do it himself. Was all of that for nothing?

No, of course it wasn't. He truly appreciated it, but was it the kind of appreciation I wanted from him? Did he love me the same way I loved him? No... He didn't... The love I had for him wasn't true love, was it? It felt like it, but you're not supposed to love your family that way...

I groan as I stare at my reflection in the water, humming softly to myself. "I'm a giant suit of armor... Who could ever love that?"


	5. Realization

**Hey y'all. Hope you enjoyed the last chapter. In this one, I'm planning on having Al have a little bit of an issue. As of right now, I'm not entirely sure how their relationship will develop in terms of romance or anything like that, so any critiques are welcome. Don't forget to thank my dearest friend for helping with this!**

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><p>I glance around as I'm pulled from my reverie; had I imagined it or was someone actually banging on the roof? No, I wasn't imaging it. I groan and stand, my metal joints popping in disagreement as I shift from the position I had been sitting in for the last couple of hours. I had positioned myself outside rather than inside, just to avoid being in the presence of him. After yesterday, I had no desire to talk to him about anything.<p>

I peer up at the roof, my mood growing worse as I see his blond head pop up to look at me. "Hey Al?"

"What are you doing up there?"

"Nothing. Some shingles were missing, so I decided to replace them."

"It doesn't even matter since we're leaving today."

"What?" He slides down, landing in a soft crouch behind me. "What do you mean we're leaving?"

"Our monthly lease is up tomorrow. I told you two days ago." I head back into the house, pulling the bags from the only closet in the house. I stare into its emptiness before depositing a sorted amount of items in one, leaving the rest of the items for the other.

"You didn't think to warn me?"

"Like I said, I told you two days ago."

"You really think I was paying attention?" He takes a seat on the couch, staring up at me like a grumpy little kid.

"I expect you to, considering I was the one that made all the travel plans this time."

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"To the South to visit Master." I zip up the bags, groaning as I hear him being to protest. "Hush. I have a purpose for going to see her, you know."

"Just like the purpose you had for gambling?"

I turn to him, my eyes starting to spark with anger. "I said hush. Now get cleaned up, our train leaves in an hour." I head back outside, collecting the spare keys which I had hidden in various places around the small yard, just as a safety precaution. It would hard for anyone to find them if they didn't know the pattern I had chosen. It would be possible, but most people don't have the patience for that kind of thing.

As I pull the bags over to the door, he walks out, his fingers nimbly braiding his golden hair. Ever since I can remember, he's braided his hair. When his hair was long enough, Winry taught him to braid it. It was always getting in his way while he was working and he got so frustrated, he asked for her help. It was difficult for him at first, being the impatient person he is, but he got it. Eventually.

I chuckle at the memory, hefting the bags onto my shoulders. It was one of the things I loved about him; his impatient, rash behavior... Wait... Love? No, no, no. He was my brother. I couldn't love him. That was sick... Right?

As my thoughts pull me into a mindless trance, I walk down the narrow pathway connecting the house to the main road, which isn't very far. I flash the tickets to some person; I'm not even paying enough attention to make sure it was the right person. At this point, the only thing that matters is me trying to figure out my feelings. After I stow away the bags, I sit on a seat, my eyes focusing on a piece of lint on the carpet. Did I truly love Edward in such a way?

The idea was preposterous, but my heart... I did love him. Not in a brotherly way, in an honest, romantic way. I know I'm not supposed to, but... His reassuring eyes, his arrogant smirk, his fluid movements... All of it is so attractive, so enticing... I look at him, my mind whirring as I watch him look at me, than back out the window, an unidentified emotion flashing in his eyes. What was it... Pain? No, too strong. Anger? No, not that either. Was it... Disappointment? Something similar, but whom was he disappointed in? Himself? Me? Both of us?

Of course he would be disappointed in me, but why himself? Oh... The Mustang thing. "Hey Brother?"

"Yeah?"

I silently curse myself; I hadn't meant to draw his attention, but it's like my voice had a mind of it's own. "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" Now I have his full attention. Whatever I had seen in his eyes is gone now, replaced by full on curiosity.

"With the Colonel... Why did you do it?" I stare at him, chastising myself as he glances down in shame.

"He was helping me... Us... Search for a Philospher's Stone."

"And that meant he could do that to you?"

"It's like alchemy, with equivalent exchange... He does something for me, I do something for him."

At this point I'm standing and he's trying to shrink back in his seat and seem as small as possible. I can tell it's hurting him, but that fact really doesn't concern me at this point. "Like hell that means you do... _That_ for him!"

"Al... Calm down..."

"I will not calm down!" I open the sliding door of the car. "I can't deal with this right now..." I slam it behind me, stalking down the corridor, thankful that rarely anyone had gotten on. Since it was so early, the only ones aboard were us and some attendants.

"Alphonse! Wait!" I keep walking, even as I hear his footsteps following me.

"No! Go back to the car so no one steals out luggage!" I slip into a random room, latching the door behind me so he can't get in. He pounds on the door a few times, but quickly gives up, leaving with an exasperated sigh. I sit in the middle of the floor, staring at my lap. If I could cry, I'm sure that's what I would be doing.

I hug my knees to my chest, poking the leg of the bench with my foot, my mind muddled with my thoughts, feeling... Everything I've felt over who knows how long. I'd always thought of love as a mutual feeling between man and woman; that's the textbook definition, anyway. "I can't love my brother... I can't..."

I whisper this to myself the entire train ride, not even noticing then the day changed to night. I stand, staring at my partial reflection in the window. "I shouldn't love him... But I do..."


	6. Rebellion

**Hey guys. c: I decided I'm going to hold off on the lemon until we get further into the story line. Even though Alphonse and his brother have known each other for a while (duh) I want to develop a little bit more drama and overall have the story progress to a point where I'm comfortable having them have those kinds of relations. Don't forget to thank my bestie for helping with it. c: Onwards!**

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><p>"Al, hurry up! The train's ready to leave!" As I hear my brother's voice, I'm pulled from my thoughts. I had, for the most part, figured things out and calmed my mind. Kind of. I was still mad at him for doing what he did, albeit he had a solid reason for it. It wasn't really his fault, either, it was Mustang's. He was a manipulative, egotistical slime ball. Of course he would have Ed do that for him.<p>

I silence my thoughts, watching Ed pull the luggage behind him, headed towards a small inn not too far from the station. "Brother, we're not staying an the inn."

"What?" He turns to me, his eyebrows raised.

"Follow me. I arranged for us to stay somewhere safer." I make my way down a side alley, headed towards what seems like a line of random tree.

"What are we doing here?"

"If you're patient, you'll see." I press my hand against the ground, watching as a ripple sprouts from the ground, extending upward, making a doorway type of hole. I walk forward, gesturing for him to follow him. "Come on, before it closes."

He nods and slips under the retreating hole, staring at the two story building that lies before us. "What are we doing here? And... What is it, exactly?"

"It's a meeting hall for the townspeople. The police have enforced a strict code against religion and alchemy; this is the one place where they can freely worship whatever they choose without being penalized or imprisoned." I knock on the door, taking a step back as a set of eyes appear in a small, rectangular slit.

"Password?"

"Cogito ergo sum."

"Amestrian translation?"

"I think, therefore I am." The small slit disappears and the door opens, showing a man of average height with sandy brown hair and a dirty white robe.

"Welcome, Alphonse. It's been a while since we've seen you." I nod as he leads us down a short hallway, taking a left into a larger room.

"I've been preoccupied. I'm sorry I haven't come back for a visit, Taylor. Is your dad still here?"

"Yes. I'll go get him." He leaves the room, closing the doors behind him as I take a seat in one of the pews, skimming through a small book of hymns.

"Al?" Edward sits next to me, the luggage resting on the floors next to him. "Where are we?"

"Don't worry. Jeremiah will explain better than I can." Just then, a middle aged man entered the room, very similar to Taylor. His brown hair was dark and dotted with specks of gray, but not completely covered. He had tanned and lightly weathered skin, as if he were a farmer or did some type of outdoor work. He approached us, a smile teasing the corners of his mouth.

"Alphonse, it's a pleasure to see you again."

I stand, giving Jeremiah a short bow. "The pleasure is all mine, Father."

"Oh please. You know you don't have to use formalities with me." He gives me a nod and I sit back down, glancing over at Edward.

"This is my brother, Edward."

"Yes, yes. I know quite a bit about the Fullmetal Alchemist. It's a blessing to have you both here. Please, follow me to your room."

"Th-thank you... Father..." Edward picks up the luggage, following me as I walk beside Jeremiah, glancing around the corridor. For as long as I've known him, Jeremiah has been a man of few words unless the situation called for it.

"Here you are. I hope the room is to your liking." He opens the door to an expansive room with two beds and two armchairs.

"Thank you, Father." I give him another bow, entering the room and putting our luggage away.

"Um... Father?" Edward sits in one of the armchairs as Jeremiah sits in the other.

"Yes, Edward?"

"What exactly is this place?"

I sit on a bed, glancing away as Jeremiah gives me a chastising, yet slightly amused look. "It's a church for those who seek not only religious salvation, but also an alchemic explanation of objects or questions that you can't pull from religion alone." As Jeremiah leans forward, I tune into the conversation; hearing Jeremiah talk so much was a rarity. "The town in which we live has banned not only religion, but alchemy, from being openly worshipped and practiced. In a sense, this is a rebellion of faith."

"Why would they ban religion and alchemy? Aren't those two fundamental things that every society needs to function?" I glance between the two as they speak. Brother has always been quick witted and intelligent, but paired with Jeremiah's wisdom, it would be a sight to see if they were debating.

"To have a fair and equal, society, then yes. However... The social situation that this town is in at the moment is far from equal. As of right now, there is a man who has taken control of our resources. We hold no power over him."

"Couldn't you use force to drive him away?"

"I'm afraid it is not that easy, my son." As Jeremiah stands, I stand as well, opening the door for him. "Force is not always the right answer in the face of social issues. Get some sleep; it's getting late and I'm sure you're very tired."

I nod and shut the door behind him, looking over to Edward, whom is staring at the floor in deep thought. "Brother?"

"What? Oh... Sorry, Al... I'm just thinking."

"What about?" I seat myself in the other armchair, my eyes following him as he stands and changes into a shirt and shorts, his usual nighttime apparel.

"What Jeremiah said... Force isn't always the answer..." Edward snuggles under the covers, staring at my through his hair. "Do you think he was warning us?"

"It's a possibility. There's no telling what he knows."

"I'm going to sleep... We'll figure everything out in the morning." He rolls over and not a minute later, a soft snore filters through the air. I extinguish the light and sink down in my chair, slipping into a trance as the events of today run through my mind.


	7. Prophecy

**Two chapters done in one day, woohoo! It was hard work, but I got them up, thanks to my lack of a life (tear...) Anyway (I say that a lot, I know) here is the SEVENTH installment of a twentyish chapter fanfiction. Yaaaay~ I'm planning on having the physical connection Al feels towards his brother start... About chapter ten or so. From this point, until then, he's going to be OOCing a little bit and his true thoughts are going to shine through. During chapter fourteen or so is when something major is going to go down, so stick around for that.**

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><p>"Al? What's this thing?" I look up from my book to see Edward holding a small book, no thicker than one or two inches.<p>

"I'm not sure... Where did you find it?

"On the book shelf." I take the book from him and skim through the pages, flipping back to the beginning. "It looks like a makeshift scripture."

"A what?" He sits on the bed, looking at me and waiting for me to explain. As a man opposed to religion as a whole, it's not really shocking that he didn't know what it was.

"A holy scripture is primarily filled with laws or tales that relay morals." I turn to the first page and scan it lazily; rather than other scriptures and holy prints that have everything in a story format, it was relatively straightforward. "Jeremiah and Taylor probably drafted it to give the people something to worship."

"Don't people usually worship gods and stuff?"

"Yes, but it's not easy to just... Make a god. They develop over decades... Centuries, even."

"It doesn't seem that hard to me."

"The idea doesn't seem hard, but to make a deity that is worshiped, accepted, and admired by a large group of people is a project. You have to perfect their personality in terms of mercy and grace, as well was their influence, not to mention legends, myths, minor deities, and temples."

"I never thought about all of that..."

"No one thinks about the obvious until it's pointed out to them." I shut the book and set it on the bed, standing so I can move my joints. Recently, I had gotten into a habit of assuming one position for hours on end.

"Al?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you so smart?"

"I learn from the best." I chuckle softly and open the door, poking my head out for a moment. "Today's Wednesday, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"That means that service is going to start in an hour. Come on." I meander into the hallway and down the flight of stairs, stopping at the entrance to the chapel so Edward can catch up.

"Do we have to?"

"Yes, we have to." I enter the chapel and take a seat in the last row, looking up front as Jeremiah resumes his sermon.

"Alchemy is not the power of God that humans stole. Alchemy is a gift given to us by the Lord in order to maintain our Earth and help the people. It is a blessing bestowed upon us so that we may admire the Lord for the power in which He holds, for He is the one who holds the stress of the people upon His shoulders." Jeremiah stops for a moment and scans the small crowd, a smile looming just under his serious expression. "As a society, we have taken for granted the free will that He has given to us. We have not respected it and we have overused it like a farmer uses a mule. As a society we must ban together and worship our respective Lords who are all the same person, just go by a different name."

A man up front shouts, 'Amen!' causing a few others to chant it in unison for a moment before they quiet down. Jeremiah closes a book laying on the podium and extends his arms out, gesturing to the windows. "If we do not respect our privileges, then how will we respect each other? How will we respect the land upon which our world is placed?" The same man yells, 'Amen!' again, but stands up this time, others quickly following suit.

I lean forward as Jeremiah says something inaudible, standing as the others leave the small chapel. All in all there was about thirty or so people dotted throughout the room. "Alphonse, Edward, good morning. Did you enjoy the teachings?"

I nod and glance down at Edward for a moment. "The part we saw was very nice, but we did have some questions about your faith as a whole."

"Come and join me in my study. It's much more comfortable than these pews." He leads us down a short hallway, to a large room about eight feet by eight feet. I take a seat in an arm chair, glancing at the books lining the walls. "What questions did you have, gentlemen?"

"Just a few simple questions." I lean back in my seat, letting Edward explain. "We found the... Scripture in the bookcase this morning. We understood what it was saying, but not the true meaning behind it."

Jeremiah nods and rests his arms on his desk, smiling gently at us. "With religion's and cultures, you can't take things at face values. You have to dive deeper into it, which is why I'm trying to tell people. Alchemy and religion, albeit seen as two different entities, are really one in the same. With alchemy, the "Lord", so to speak, is science. In religion, the Lord is the Lord, no matter what name you bring Him with. Both beings provide explanations for Earth's biggest mysterious."

I lean forward with Edward, my curiosity peaked. Never before had I heard the two compared. Yes, I thought about them both myself, but never had I truly set my mind on the fact. "Your saying that alchemy and science are one in the same?" I glance at my brother, my mind whirring. He never was one to talk about, let alone learn about religion, so his curiosity was a tad odd.

"Yes, that is what I'm saying. You two are merely... Priests, if you will, for alchemy. You are State Alchemists, just as I use to be a state assigned Preacher. You pass along the purpose of alchemy, just as I pass along the teachings of the Holy Bible."

"Then why are State Alchemists called Dogs of the Military?"

"Ignorance, my dear boy." At Edward's last question, Jeremiah pulls open one of the drawers of his desks and takes out two wooden crosses on a plain black cord. "People will soon come to see the importance of alchemists in the world. People get so absorbed in their own opinions, they deny outside perspectives, which is why the world has gone through so many wars. History is doomed to repeat itself..." He presses the crosses into our palms and gives us a smile, his eyes seeming to bore into our souls with a soothing calmness, rarely found amongst the people in our lives.

"What do you mean by that, Father?" I curl my fist around the cord, staring at him, my tone saturated with curiosity.

"Don't worry, boys. You'll soon understand what I mean." He stands and opens the door, giving us a nod. "I've had Taylor arrange to buy your train tickets from here to another church further South. I'm sure you will find answers to your questions there."

We stand, giving him a short bow before we make our way back up to our room and pack our bags. "What do you think he meant by that, Al?"

I think for a moment before finally shaking my head, staring down at scripture, which maintained its position on the bed. "I'm not sure, but I had an idea..."


	8. Deal Breaker

**Hello my adoring fans (if any exist, which I hope they do...) My lovable, most amazing best friend wrote about half of this and I wrote the other half. There is also something special about this chapter. Can you guess what it is? If not, I'll tell you. It's from Edward POV! Yay! Every so often I'm going to have a chapter like this one. Roughly ten, eight, maybe seven chapter's just so you guys can see that Alphonse isn't the only one with issues. Mkay. Now we shall proceed with the story~**

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><p>"Here you are sir." The young lady smiled warmly as she handed me the small bouquet of orchids, Al's favorite flower.<p>

"Thank you Miss!" I hand the lady some money and take the flowers with my other hand, waving goodbye to her I walked down the main street of the small city we have been living in. I hold the bouquet in my hand, my black boots kicking up dirt as I reach the narrow dirt road connecting our small house to the main road.

I knew Al would love the flowers; at least once a day he would say something about how much he loves orchids and how sad it was they weren't native to the Eastern region of Amestris. Plus, it was a way to show my appreciation for everything he does for me... And maybe even a token for my love.

Smiling, my cheeks slightly hot, I recalled the hug we shared the day before. I loved hugging Al, I loved any touch from him. From the tightest hugs to the softest of nudges, I love them all the same. _'Wait? What the hell are you thinking Ed? You DON'T love him that way._' I shake my head as I passed a nerby oak tree, its bright green leaves blowing in the gentle breeze. I sigh heavily, looking down at the dirt path.

"Man... What's wrong with you Ed?" I rub the back on my head as I talk to myself for a few moments, a habit I had adopted about a month ago, focusing my gaze on the purple flowers in my hand. Every so often I would find myself thinking about hugging, touching, cuddling with Al in ways that brother's shouldn't. Did I love him? No... Brother's don't love brother's like that.

I stop outside the front door, fumbling around for my key, balancing the bouquet in the crook of my arm. I always misplace my house key, even if I specifically put it in a place I won't forget. "Ah geez..." I finally give up and snatch the spare key from under a potted plant, just one of the many Al hid for me. He knows all too well about my... Challenges when it comes to stupid stuff like that. I always lose something so simple, yet majorly important.

"Thank you, Alphonse." I set the flowers on the table, freezing as I hear a very familiar voice.

"Welcome home, Brother." I look up at Al, glancing at Mustang who's sitting at our kitchen table, eating pasta like he owns the Godforsaken place. Ever since he and I made a stupid deal a year ago, he's shown up once every month to receive his... Pay. Not once has he come by when Al was home, though.

"Ah, Alphonse. May I speak to Fullmetal alone?" I slide off my shoes, flinching inwardly as Al leaves. Once he's gone Mustang stands, his polite smile twisting into a look of lust. "Why don't we take our business somewhere private?"

I swallow a few times to try to kill the lump in my throat, but its no use. Whenever Mustang comes around, my fear bubbles to the surface. "S-sure..." I timidly walk into the bedroom, assuming my usual position on the bed. I sit on the edge and watch as he enters the room, his coat and shoes abandoned by the front door, just like mine.

"Seems like you've been a naughty boy, Fullmetal... Ignoring your reports, disrespecting your superiors.." I grimace and he slides onto my lap and straddles my waist, running his gloved hands up and down the small of my back.

"I did all of that for a reason..." I arch my back, leaning into him as his tongue trails against my neck. He does the same thin every time and his actions have been burned into my memory. All of myresponders to his movements come from me in a robotic fashion. I had learned to separate mysel from what's going on so I don't feel TOO guilty.

"And what is the reason, dear?" As his fingers undos my buttons, I act on reflex and push him off me, sending him back into the wall, a shocked look on his face which quickly changes to one of anger.

"What the hell was that for?" He stands and growls in the back of his throat, sending me sprawling against the bed. "We had a deal!"

"I don't care about the deal we had!" I shove him again and peel out of the room, heading for the living room, cursing as I hear the door open. "Shit! He's home..." I back against the wall, my eyes widening in fear as Mustang and Al enter the room at the same time.

The next few moments go by in a blur. Al says something, Mustang yells, and the next thing I know I'm sitting on the couch, silently chastising myself for being so stupid as to make a deal like that. I groan and wring my hands, looking up as Al walks in. "I'm so sorry, Al..."

"Shut up. Dinners in the fridge. Heat it up when you're hungry." I watch him leave and wince as he slams the door.

"Great, Ed... You really fucked up this time." I stand and head into the kitchen, not even tasting the food as I eat it.


	9. Longing

**Hello my duckies. c: Did y'all enjoy the latest chapter? I hope you did. This one is kind of a filler, but kind of not. It just shows a little bit more into Al's mind and will foreshadow a problem that will arise later. Again, thank my best friend for helping me with this. Great minds think alike, right? Anywho. There's gonna be a little bit of an 'Awwweee...' moment in this and you may feel some sympathy for Al and Ed. Hopefully you do.**

**Oh, and a side note. This entire chapter takes place in the course of... 10 or so minutes. Like I said, it's a filler, but it's necessary to show you guys Al's mind and the way he thinks. It develops and adds onto the previous and later chapters, so stick with it. The second half is going to be Ed's POV.  
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><p>I run my fingertips over the weathered cover of the book, glancing over at the sleeping lump on the bed. No matter where we are or where we're going, he always manages to fall asleep with his stomach showing. I shake my head and toss a blanket over him, flipping open the book. Jeremiah had given me a copy of the scripture, which I had read over twice.<p>

I smile and run my fingers along his cheekbones, quickly drawing back my hand. It's been like this for a while now; he's sleeping, I touch him, and then I get scared because I think he's actually awake when he's really not. A sigh escapes me as I set the book on the nightstand, sitting with my hands folded around the nape of my neck, my head ducked. Ever since the Mustang incident, I've been extremely paranoid about losing him forever.

It's stupid, though... My reasoning for being scared. We've been together since we were babies. Nothing would ever separate us... Would it? I don't know. I have this feeling, deep in the pit of my stomach, that something bad is going to happen and it's going to happen soon. Edward, of course, would tell me that I'm just being paranoid, but that's my thing. My frantic, 'What ifs?' make me who I am. It's why I'm such a good fighter. It's why I have such a large bank account. It's why I'm always prepared.

If something were to happen to me... I want to make sure that Brother is always cared for. Ever since we met Barry, I've been scared that sometime soon my body will reject me again. Ever since we went to the North... I'm terrified of what may happen.

Most of our lives consist of, 'Ever since this...' and 'Ever since that...' What if one day, our lives cease to be an 'Ever since...' and we just... Stop. Either we're killed in a fight or we're captured by Father... Every day I live in fear of what may happen, but Ed isn't. He's always upbeat and cheery, just waiting to take on the new day.

Well, he's not always like that... Sometimes he's like me and stresses out about stuff that he doesn't need to, but I guess that just shows our brotherhood. I glance at him, allowing my hand to slide across the covers and just barely graze against his metal arm. If I could have, I never would have allowed him to have automail... Sure metal can touch, but it can't feel. It can hit, but it can't hurt. It can do everything real skin can, but can feel nothing.

My hand falls from the bed and I lean back in my chair, staring up at the ceiling. If we had never tried human transmutation, would our lives be better or worse? I shake my head and rest my hands on the arms of the chair. That question has entered my mind a countless number of times.

~*~ Change of Point of View ~*~

I pull the cover over me, shutting my eyes tightly. Every night, I feel him touch my cheek and every night, I hope and wish he'll touch me more. My neck, my shoulder, my arm... But every night, he pulls away only to fidget in his chair and think about things that grown men don't think about.

I move a little in my spot, making it seem like I'm asleep. I usually don't drift off until an hour after he goes inside his shell, stressing out about everything; things beyond his control... Things that are my fault. I stifle a sigh, my heart beginning to pound as he moves his hand across the covers, my hopes cracking as he touches my metal arm. It's a touch, but... Not what I want. I want him to hug me, like he use to, when we were kids... His hugs were always full of complete trust and ignorant bliss...

I roll over, once I'm sure he's not paying attention to me anymore, and smile. I run my hand over his metal arm, then over his leather glove, falling back onto the mattress. I know he feels the same way, but he hasn't confessed... Albeit I haven't either. Is it wrong, the love we share but are too scared to express in the full knowledge of the other?

I shake my head and roll back over, facing the window, wiping my cheek as a tear escapes. I've never been one to cry, but... Sometimes you just have to let it all out. I pull the cover over my head, burying my head in the pillow. There's so many things I want to say... So many things I want to do, but I can't because of the mess I've gotten us into.

I can't speak my true feeling because if I did, where would that leave us? I can't do want to because of the tin can I shoved Al into. He can't feel anything... He can't do anything because it's all my fault. I wipe my eyes, glancing at the clock one more time before I finally drift off with one last thought in my head; if I hadn't have brought him back, would we both be happier?


	10. Rejection

**Yay, another chapter! I hope you guys don't mind the filler. Well, it wasn't so much a filler as it was a mini chapter. Anyway! Like I've been saying, some stuff is gonna go down and I'm hoping that this chapter will give you a glimpse into the future of Al and Ed. Don't forget to thank my best friend for co-writing this with me. And finally, don't forget to pop in on my OHSHC fanfic. I've been in a rut with it, and if you have any ideas, they are welcomed and extremely loved. And I lied. This is the final thing. I have decided to do a lemon chapter, but it doesn't come until later, ALTHOUGH there may be some touching and stuff before that, which is why I rated this fanfic M for Mature.**

**And a side note. Just to make sure you all know my thought of the train cars, it's like the one from Harry Potter. They're individual with doors separating them from the main corridor.  
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**Now, we shall go on with the story!**

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><p>"Brother, wake up. It's time to go." I shake the lump awake, sighing as I get a muffled reply. "Wake up! Master Izumi called." At this he shot up, his eyes wide in fear. Of all the people Brother is scared of (which isn't a very large list) Master Izumi is at the top.<p>

"What did you just say?"

"She found out about my State Alchemist test!" I lift up the luggage, sliding it into my chest. "If we're not there by tomorrow afternoon, she's going to come find us herself." At this he launches from the bed and darts into the bathroom, quickly emerging dressed and his toothbrush in his mouth.

"When is the train leaving?" I follow him out the door, grabbing a bottle of water from the dining table as we bypass through the kitchen. Whenever I wake him up he's never so energetic. Maybe I should threaten him more often...

"In ten minutes."

"Crap! Are we gonna make it?"

"We should. The train station is right there." I push open the doors of the station, Brother gargling the water behind me, spitting into the grass, running to catch up.

"Hurry! If we miss it we'll have to... I don't even want to imagine what she'll do to us." At this, I agree. Master Izumi can be terrifying when she's angry, especially to Brother and I. We've been her pupils since we were young, and even though we don't keep in constant contact, she can be extremely protective. I guess you could say we're the children she's never had.

"Calm down, Brother. She can't be _that_ angry."

"Alphonse, did I hear what I think I just heard?" I sit down opposite him, the luggage safely stored away above us.

"Well... She doesn't seem all that mean..."

"When I put you in that hunk of arm, did you lose part of your memory? She's terrible when she's angry! Do you remember when she was training us and she blew me back into a wall because I wasn't paying attention?"

"Oh... Well... Yeah..."

"Exactly! She's a nightmare." He squirms in his seat, his face slowly returning back to its original color. When I told him about the call, he went absolutely pale.

"Winry can be just as bad."

"Oh don't even get me started on her! She may not be as bad, but she gets back at me in worse ways. I break my automail, but she makes it better and then attaches without even warning me. Do you know how badly that hurts?"

"I'm going to guess a lot..." At this last statement I lean back in my seat, letting him rant for a while until he's petered out. I'm half listening, half not as I begin to drift away into my own little world and then, I begin to fantasize. What will it be like when I get my body back? What will it be like when I get to hug people again? As I'm in the middle of thinking, all of a sudden, everything goes dark.

I'm not entirely sure what happened to make everything go black... But as soon as it did, I could see the Gate. Not a normal gate for a garden, but the Gate to the Truth. In front of it, sat me body... Thin and frail and... Weak. Hollow hips, sullen cheeks... My body looked like it was dying.

"My soul... You have returned, finally?" I step back as a voice erupts from it. The voice is my own, but at the same time... It's not. It's sad, yet hopeful... But pained. I look at the frail thing and shake my head, turning my back to it.

"Why are you leaving me, Soul?"

"Brother and I decided... We'd get our bodies back at the same time."

"But you're here with me now! You can take this chance!"

"I have nothing to exchange! If I take you back now, then I'll be sucked in forever, won't I?" Would I be sucked in? The basic, fundamental rule of alchemy was equivalent exchange. If I were to take my body now... Wouldn't that mean that the Truth would suck me into the Gate and I would be amongst the dead and lifeless? It would, wouldn't it?

I glance back at my body, which has resumed it's sitting position. "You are right, Soul..." As I take a step away, I hear him whisper something. I turn to look at him, but he vanished, along with the Gate. Now everything is dark, like it was a split second before I saw the Gate.

"Alphonse! Alphonse!" I hear a screaming voice all around me and a vigorous shaking... Is it my voice? No... It's deeper. Is it Edward's voice? Yes, yes it is... But where's it coming from? From above? Maybe. From below? No. It's definitely from above.

"ALPHONSE!" At this final shout I'm thrust from the blackness and seemingly transported back to Earth, light swimming across my vision as I still see my body in my mind's eye.

"What?"

"Are you... Okay?"

"I'm... Fine..." Was I fine? Was I really? I didn't fall asleep... It's not possible. Is my body rejecting my soul? Probably... It happened to Barry... "Are we here?"

"Yeah. We pulled in just a minute ago. Man, you scared me."

"Don't worry, I just zoned out again." I chuckle and try to blow it off as nothing big, but I silently thank the Lord I don't have a face so he can't see the fear all over my face.


	11. Izumi's Wrath

**The chapters following this one will have no author's note, except maybe a little on what's going to happen. It's my best friend's birthday (the one I'm writing this with) and I promised her I would upload six chapters on Friday. Even though we're co-writers, I decided to throw in some twists on the yaoi front. We originally wrote it to where Winry and Ed were together and Seska and Al were together, but I decided not to do that. Anyway. Be prepared for six chapters on Friday evening by... Seven o clock, I'm going to say.**

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><p>"Alphonse Elric! How dare you go behind not only my back, but your brother's as well and become a dog of the military!" I flinch at this comment, my eyes averted to the floor. I knew I shouldn't have, but with everything that was going on... I had no choise.<p>

"Master, let Al-"

"Shut up, Ed. This is between me and him."

"Well if you would just-"

"I said can it!" She turns to him, her eyes ablaze with anger. I had been meaning to tell her, but I never got a chance to, with us constantly moving around and all that.

"Master..."

"I'm not done with you yet!" As I speak she turns back to me, her hands glued to her hips, her mouth forming a thin line. "What would Pinako or Winry say if they found out, huh? And your body... You could be rejected by your body at any moment and if you were off on some assignment, no one could help you!"

"Do you think I don't know that?" As I stand up, I knock my chair back, surprising myself at my tone. Not once have I or Brother ever talked back to Izumi. I stare her down, my voice quieting, but my tone stays hard. "Even if it were to happen here, right now, you couldn't help me. It's already happened!"

"What? Al... When did it happen?" Ed stands, his eyes focused on me.

I sigh and look down, avoiding Ed's gaze. "It happened twice in the North. I made Winry promise not to tell..."

"Did it happen any other times?"

"On the way here." I turn my back to them, fixing the chair. I'm in for it now.

"I asked if you were okay!"

"Do I look okay? Have I ever looked okay?" I rear around, my hands curled into fists. I stare down at my armor; multiple cuts and dents dotting along the surface. Slashes in the thighs, a large gash on the inner part of my arm. "I've never been okay!"

"Then why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I didn't want to! Everyday, you see me and I see you. I know things aren't okay for you. I can see it in your face and hear it in your voice... I see it in your actions everyday... If I were to tell you, it would just make you feel worse..."

"Al... Do you really think that?"

"Yes, and I know it's true! Don't think I didn't hear you talking to Granny about it. I know I'm a burden to you! I've always known!" At this last comment I run from the house, headed out the door and down the dirt road. I slip through the small line of trees at the end of the street, breaking way onto a long, expansive pier lined with boats. I stare at one for a moment before untying it from the dock and climbing in it, rowing swiftly along.

Not once has a day gone by that what ifs go through my head. What if Izumi had never mentored us? What if we never tried to resurrect Mom? What if Dad never left us? As I hit the sand, I stay there for a moment, staring at the bottom of the boat. Not too long ago, I thought of wiping away the blood seal that keeps my soul tied down to the armor. I seriously contemplated it.

I know how hard it is for Brother to handle everything, and if I were to disappear, he could focus on getting his body back, rather than both of ours. I belong on the other side of the gate, anyway... I would simply be going home.

But then, something stopped me. Something that I heard Jeremiah sigh the last time I was there alone. I confided in him I thought about ending it, but he looked me dead in the eye and said, 'Ending your life with your own hand is the most selfish thing you can do. Even if it seems like a release, it merely brings forth pain in those around you.'

I asked him if it would be the same as murder, but he said no. Murderers are corrupted beings that have lost their faith and forgotten their morals. He then went on to explain that I am not one of them. I hold tight to my morals and follow along the Savior's path, whomever the Savior may be in my eyes, let it be God, or Science.

At this memory I stare at the water a moment before standing and stepping out of the boat, taking a few steps up the shore. Would it really be selfish to end my existence? Jeremiah said it would be, but would I be missed? By Winry and Granny, sure. Brother definitely. Maybe Izumi... Anyone else?

May, of course... Maybe Hawkeye... The Hughes family? As the list of people run through my head, I kick into the sand, my anger at myself spiking again. I was being selfish, thinking no one would care about me leaving. Brother would be the saddest of all, of course... He already lost Mom and Dad walked out on us... Could he really stand losing me, too?

Of course not. I couldn't stand to lose him, either... I sit on the sand and hug my knees to my chest, staring out over the shore of the small island. That only leaves one option for me to follow, then; I have to keep going, no matter what.


	12. Blind Love

**Like I said, no author's notes for this chapter and the few following it. Except for the fact that this chapter is in Ed's POV.  
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><p>"How could you do that? You didn't even <em>listen<em> to our side of the story!" I rocket from my chair, my hands curling into fists by my side. Izumi is always like this; she jumps the gun and doesn't even listen to reason, she just goes off. It's annoying, to say the least.

"I don't need to, Edward! First you, then him!"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You're dogs of the military, both of you! If you had just listened-"

"No. Maybe if YOU listened to US, we wouldn't be in this situation! We're not your children. You can't tell us what to do anymore!" As soon as I say this, I regret it. Her face falls and she looks down before turning away, her back straight.

"Fine. Do whatever you damn well want!"

"Izumi-"

"No. You're right. I'm not your mother. Just... Go find Alphonse."

I sigh and brush my bangs from my eyes, grabbing my coat from the back of the chair, silently cursing myself. Sometimes I can be a major jerk..

~*~ One Hour Later ~*~

"Al? I know you're here!" I rest the oar in the boat and step onto the sandy shore, my hands in my pockets. I had seen the boat on the shore and Al is the only one that knows of anything here. "Al!" As I call his name again, I see a large silhouette sitting against the tree line. I motion towards it, looking up at it stands.

"I don't want to talk about it."

I watch him turn, sighing as I stare at his back. "You know Izumi..."

"So? That gives her no right to jump to conclusions!"

"Al..."

"And you didn't even defend me - us - when she called us dogs of the military!"

"Do you think I could have gotten a word in edge wise? You were there! She was yelling at the top of her lungs!"

"So? I talked! I flat out interrupted her because she didn't know the truth!"

"I was scared, okay!" I step forward, my hands out of my pockets, curling into fists by my sides. "Finally, you did something wrong! Finally, you're not the good child! Do you think I like it, people always picking on me about my temper? Do you think I'm fine with it when they assume you're the Fullmetal Alchemist? No, I'm not!"

"I'm sorry, that you're a runt! I'm sorry that people just assume things!"

I growl, in the back of my throat, as I hear him scoff. Usually he's so nice and calming, but now? Now he's being like me; a flat out jackass. "Take. That. Back."

"No. I can't help that your short. I can't help it that you're stubborn, rash, and all around stupid!"

"Like I can change the fact that you're a whiny, over-protective pushover?"

"Shut up!"

"Oh, so it's okay if you criticize me, but when I do it to you, it's wrong?" This shuts him up. Sometimes he can be such a hypocrite. It's not okay for me to do all this crap and then he goes and does it himself.

"Just... Go..."

"No. I won't go. You have to come back to the house and talk this out with Izumi."

"I don't want to!"

"I don't care if you don't want to, you have to! Izumi's already pissed enough as it is and if I don't bring you back, she'll be even worse off!"

"So what? Bringing me back will save your hide?"

"Yes... No... Maybe..." I stop, my eyes widening as I realize that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm no better than him, in that sense... I look up at him, my gaze hopeful. If I don't return with him, then my ass is on the line and I don't want that. In the end, we all end up being as selfish as the man before and after us, don't we?

"Fine... I'll go." As he walks forward, I can't help but smile. Even if Alphonse is a whiny, over-protective pushover, he's still my younger brother and he's still my shield against Izumi.

"Al?" I row my boat slowly, drifting along next to his.

"Yeah?"

"Do you... Have feelings for anyone?" I flush a light pink as I say this, thankful for the setting sun so he can't see it.

"Um... Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious, that's all." I flush darker, rowing a bit faster to pull ahead a little. Had I really just asked that? Of all the questions to ask at a time like this... I curse under my breath, looking over as he quickly catches up to me.

"Well... There is someone, but I don't know if they have feelings for me like I do them..."

"How can you be sure?"

"Well... Never mind." He rows faster, speeding a good yard or so a head. I watch him go, continuing my normal pace.

Who did he have feelings for? Could it be me? No, Al isn't like that... Is he? I sigh, sliding out of the boat as I feel it hit the pier. There was no way he returned my feelings. After all... It's wrong to love your brother. Isn't it? Of course it is. I tie the rope around the metal hook, looking down at the water for a moment, thinking. Isn't love supposed to be blind? So long as the feelings are true, nothing matters, right?


	13. Eaten

**I don't know why, but I've had this obsession with Edward's POV... I think I'm going to have chapters 12 - 16 be his views on everything. I just feel that being in his shoes can help me develop Al's story a bit better.  
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><p>"Izumi! I brought Al with me!" I enter the house, my voice radiating around. Usually she would jump on us right away, but not now. It's like she left, along with her husband. "Izumi?"<p>

"Master?" Al parts ways with me, headed to the front of the house as I search the back. When I hear him scream I rush after him, my eyes widening in terror as I see Envy and Gluttony standing in the front yard. Envy flashes me a smirk and pats Gluttony's back.

"How's it going, Bean?"

"I'm not a bean!" I stand beside Al, my eyebrows furrowed. "Where's Izumi?"

"Oh, her? Yeah. She's not here at the moment."

"What did you do with her?"

"Nothing. She left before we got here." Envy smiles and steps forward, his arms swinging casually by his sides. "I came for the Tinman, here. Father needs him for something, I guess."

"He's not going with you!"

"Brother..." Al looks down at me, his voice soft. "Do you think they have Izumi?"

"What could we possibly want with that bitch? I don't do ladies with tempers." Envy stops just in front of us, his arms over his chest. I peer up at him, my arms raising up a little.

"Why do you want Al?"

"Heck if I know. Father just told us to come and get him."

"He's not going anywhere!"

"I didn't want to have to do this, but..." He turns, signaling to Gluttony. "If I have to, I'll use force."

"Brother..." A sigh escapes Al and he shakes his head. "I don't want to fight..."

"But Al!"

"I never said I was going with them." At this, he claps, sending a stone cage around the Sins. I smirk, watching as they glare at us.

"Al, you're amazing."

"Gluttony!" Envy hops on Gluttony's shoulders, just before he busts open the cage with his fists.

"Damn..."

"You think we can go down that easy?"

"Envy... I'm hungry..."

"No, you can't eat them. They're valuable sacrifices."

"But Envy..."

"No!" Envy smacks the back of Gluttony's head, turning to us. "So is the Tincan going to come willingly?"

"Hell no he's not." I pull off my gloves and put them in my pocket, returning Envy's smirk. "Didn't we make that clear?"

"I didn't want to have to do this..." Envy darts forward, sliding between me and Al, grabbing Al's ribbon and jerking him forward. I growl, clapping my hands together, sending a wave of rock darts at him. I groan when they miss, dashing forward as Al's head pops off, leaving the armor to stumble around before settling in a specific area.

"Give him back!" I run up to Envy, trying to side swipe him, missing by just a few inches as he dodges off to the right.

"Envy, can I eat them now?" Gluttony sidles up next to the armor, his gaze ignorant and bland.

"Sure... Whatever..." Envy tosses the helmet aside, stopping as he realized what he just said. "No! Glut-"

I stop right in front of him, looking back as a beam of light rushes towards us, engulfing us in its path. I scream in agony for a moment, blinking rapidly as I feel myself fall into a sticky puddle. I sit up and sniff around me, my nose contorting in disgust. It smells like... Blood? I stand and writhe as I see myself coated in it, climbing upon a large rock near me. I look around, jumping up as I see Envy walking towards me.

"Cool it, Bean. I'm not going to fight you anymore."

"Why?"

"There's no point anymore."

"Wait... What?"

"Like I said, there's no point. Not where we are."

"Where are we, exactly?"

Before answering my question, he settles on the stone slab, folding his arms behind his head. "Isn't it obvious?"

"To other people, maybe, but not me."

"I think we're in Gluttony's stomach."

Wait... Stomach? How is that even- Wait. That beam of light... As I mull it over, I yell out in frustration. "You mean to tell me we got eaten by that large sack of stupid?"

"Yup."

I sit down, staring at my blood covered shoes. "Is there a way out of here?"

"Nope."

"Are you sure?"

"Yup."

"Shit." I sit criss cross, staring at the bloody footprints I left on the stone. If stuff enters him, there has to be an exit, right? Right? There is NO way I can just be... Eaten. It's like, 'What goes up must come down.' Except... In our case, it would be, 'What goes in must come out.' Right? "Are you sure there isn't a way out of here?"

"Father might know, but he's not really a big help in here."

I sigh and shut my eyes, beginning to think. There has got to be a way out of here... If not... Wouldn't Gluttony be taking Al to Father? No... Gluttony wouldn't be that smart, would he? Unless Al is talking to him about getting us out of here... Then that would lead Al to Father and in the end Father would get what he sent Envy to do, right? I groan and beat my fists on the ground. Hopefully Al isn't desperate enough to do that. Hopefully...


	14. Escape

**Like I said, this chapter is gonna be in Ed's POV. It may be a little fast because I really wanna get to the next chapter, so I'm sorry if you think it's rushed...  
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><p>"There has to be some way out of here..."<p>

"Can it, Shrimp. I'm trying to sleep."

I look over at the raven haired man, scoffing. "Like napping is going to help anything."

"You have your priorities and I have mine, now shut it."

I sigh and rest my elbows on my knees, beginning to think again. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. That is one of the basic laws of science, just like what goes up must come down. Simple physics. It's the same in alchemy; equivalent exchange and all that jazz. If Gluttony's stomach has an entrance, it must have an exit somewhere, right? There's a floor, so there must be walls or something, right?

I stand and start walking, glancing around. Could I dig through the floor? No... If I do that, I could end up anywhere. I tap my foot against the ground, cringing as I hear a loud slopping sound. Not once have I been around so much blood... I stop and lean against another pillar, retching for a moment.

"So gross..." I wipe my mouth with my hand, continuing my journey. Al must be with Father by now, right? He could have tried to talk to Gluttony, and knowing that won't work, he must have sought the help of the man that created the Sins. It would make sense, wouldn't it? The creator of an object knows all the nooks and crannies; all the secrets. It's the logical conclusion.

Of course, he could have tried cutting Gluttony open... No, Gluttony isn't that stupid. He wouldn't let someone gouge him out, would he? I grumble to myself for a moment before looking up. Somehow, I had managed to go in a complete circle, because there was Envy, on his back, snoozing away. I kick at a stone, blinking for a moment as I register the pattern on it. It looks just like the crest on the Gate of the Truth...

I quickly glance to the slab Envy is laying on, everything clicking into place. How had I not realized it? The Sins were made with a Philospher's Stone. Philosopher's Stones break the rules of alchemy and allow you to do alchemy without a transmutation circle. A Philospher's Stone is like the Truth; it contains souls and an infinite knowledge... Meaning, the Sins were failed copies of the Truth, right? In theory, of course... But then I would need something to pass through the Gate with, wouldn't I?

I sit back on the slab, staring at my feet. Wait. I have Envy and Envy has a Stone... "Hey, Envy?"

"What?"

"I may know how to get out of here."

"Yeah?" He sits up, staring at me, a tiny shred of hope in his eyes.

"But..."

"But what?"

"I need your Stone."

"My what?"

"Your Stone."

"Why- Wait. You're going to use me as a toll?"

"Yes." I blink at him, my eyes wide in curiosity. Would he agree to it? Maybe... I sigh, awaiting his rejection or an angry reaction, but I don't get one. I get something much more surprising.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes."

"You sure?"

"Do you want me to change my mind?"

"No!" I stand up, pushing up the sleeves of my jacket. "Ready?" He nods and I kneel, pressing my palms together. It should work... In theory. I shut my eyes tight, clapping my hands quickly, pressing a palm against the circle. Like before, a beam of light rushes over us, causing me to scream in agony yet again, but as soon as I do so... It's over. I find myself laying on the floor, staring up at a ceiling covered in tubes and tunnels.

"Brother?"

I launch up at the familiar voice, my eyes wide as I register where I am. "Al? What are you doing here?"

He looks down at his feet and at this moment I realize the chains on his wrists and ankles. "I... I'm so..."

"Al... How could you?" I'm yelling now, and tears are coursing down my cheeks, but I don't care. Did he really get that desperate? "Did you have no faith in me?"

"I did... I just... Gluttony didn't know where anything went and I got scared, okay?" He looks at me, his shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, Brother..."

"Save it..." My back goes straight as I look down, my hands hanging limp by my sides. "I can't do anything for you now..." I look around. Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Sloth, Father, a crap load of chimeras... My tears finally fall, wiping small streaks of blood from my face as they fall to the floor. "I thought you trusted me..."

"I do, Brother, but..."

"No. No buts. Not this time." I turn on my heel, headed for the door. Gluttony and Lust part and smirk down at me, along with the rest of them. They got what they wanted. Al is immortal, in that suit of armor... In theory.

That's all it is. That's all anything is! If we do good on Earth, we're theoretically supposed to go to Heaven and we go to Hell if we do bad. In theory, alchemy is the creation and destruction of objects. In theory, if people love each other they will do anything for each other. I'm tired of it all! All this theoretical shit.

If you do good, then good things are supposed to happen to you. I've done as much good as I can, but where has that left me? My mother is dead. My father left. My brother may as well be dead because of the fucking situation he got himself into. I bust open the main doors and start running. I don't know where I'm running to, and I don't care, I just... I have to go somewhere and think things through... I have to make a plan to break Al out, no matter what I have to do. I will get him out.


	15. Two Years

**Hey y'all. This is the chapter I've been oh so wanting to get to! You know how Al went with Father and all that? You do? Good. I think you guys are going to love this one. And, since I'm typing this anyway, I wanna say a happy birthday to my best friend. Her birthday was actually on Wednesday, but I was working on something then so I couldn't put out an announcement. So, wish her a happy birthday, alright?**

**I also wanna say thank you to all those who Favorited this. c: I haven't checked my email in a while, so I just got them all today. . 40 emails just from people Favoriting this. Thanks guys! Oh, don't forget to review and all that jazz, okay?  
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><p>"Winry, where do you want this?" I head into the living room, a box of metal parts and limbs in my arms. Ever since Al left two years ago, I've been living with Winry and Granny, helping them with their automail shop. I sigh as I set down the box, a flood of memories coming back to me as I stare down at the metal, barely noticing when the doorbell rings.<p>

"I'll get it!" I jog over to the door and pull it open, staring at the dirty blond man in front of me. He's a little taller than me with deep brown eyes and an innocent look on his face. "You... How... When..."

"Can I come in?" He looks up at me, a brown coat draped over his arm. I know that arm... I know that face... I know him. And I hate him.

"No." I slam the door, stomping back across the room. Two years ago, he decided to cop out and give up on me, knowing full well I could handle it. He decided to take the easy way out... He gave up on everything. Am I curious as to how he got his body back? Yes. Do I want to talk to him? Yes. Will I let myself? No.

"Ed, who was it?" I bypass Winry, sitting down in the kitchen, my head in my hands. How could he come back, out of the blue, after two years and expect me to want to talk?

"It was... No one..." I look up at her, my eyes widening as she heads to the door and opens it. I see her exit the house for a moment, excited, surprised, and curious squeals coming from her. Once they quiet down, she comes back in, Al following quickly behind. I see him smile and my stomach twists; once upon a time I use to love that smile... Once upon I time, before I fucked everything up... Before he betrayed me.

Quickly, my sadness is replaced with rage. He left me... He lost all faith in my powers and went with Father. He didn't even think about Winry, or Jeremiah, or Granny... Or even Izumi. Before I know it, I'm up and yelling at the top of my lungs. "Get out of here! I don't want to see you every again! Not after what you did!" I hold back a sob, but there is no way I can hold back my tears. Two years of anger, sadness, depression, and overall heartbreak flow out of me. I can't forgive him. Not now. Not ever.

"Edward! Let's just talk about this!" Winry steps forward, her hands splayed out like she's trying to calm me down, which isn't working very well.

"No! I don't want to calm down! Not after what he did!" I turn my back to them, running from the room. I know Winry had the right intentions, but... I just can't do it. I thought he would have had more faith in me... I thought he trusted me more. I thought our bond was stronger... I guess not.

I slow down and settle on the dusty ground, staring down at my mother's grave. I stare at the headstone, my sobs erupting from me after having been suppressed for so long. After putting on a brave face for Winry and Granny... After consoling May, because she came down after she heard Al had given up... After trying to find ways to get him out, but ultimately failing in my attempts to even find their headquarters... After all the work I had put in, I finally broke down in front of our mother's grave.

Our mother was always a cheerful, bright lady... Polite and proper, but at the same time easy going. She was everything Al was and I wasn't... I was always the rash, sarcastic, rushed half of the team. No matter how cliched it sounds, he completed me and I completed him. We were always together, no matter what.

We had been through worse times than me being eaten. There was that time we almost got beaten to a pulp by miner's... Or when I got my arm ripped off. Even after the accident, when I had sacrificed two limbs... He was there for me. He didn't give up. He went straight to Granny. Why was that time different... Why did he give up so easy?

I wipe my eyes as my break down comes to an end, my eyes red and puffy. I smile gently and press my fingers to my lips, then to the name engraved on the stone. "What should I do now, Mom?" A sigh escapes my lips as I lay down, staring up at the sky as I mull everything over.

Yes, I'm still mad... But should I be? Al must have had a reason for doing it... He couldn't have given in so easily... I turn on my side, staring back at the house, my brows furrowed. Why had it never occurred to me before? I guess in all my anger, I had never truly thought about it...

I stare down at a pebble just a few inches from my face. I wait another moment before standing and brushing myself off. Hopefully my outburst hadn't turned Al away from me. Would he still be willing to talk? At this I shake my head and begin walking. The only way to answer that would be to go back and find out.


	16. Explanation

**I lied. I said chapters 12 - 16 were going to be Ed's POV, but I decided to switch back over to Alphonse. The whole plot twist thing was good, huh? If not, you can say so, I wouldn't be hurt (too badly.) Now please, rate, review, etc. I know you guys are out there! And just so y'all know, the italicized portion is Al's flashback.  
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><p>"Al... What happened two years ago? Why did you leave?" I look at Winry, a weary look flashing over my face. I had explained everything to May already; I had bypassed through Xing before coming back to Amestris. I set my coat on the back of the chair, gesturing for her to sit. I seat myself next to her, looking down as I fold my hands and rest my elbows on my knees.<p>

"It's a long story..."

"I have time."

I take a deep breath, millions of thoughts running through my head as I contemplate where to start. Should I start with my escape and backtrack? No. Should I begin with my State Alchemist test? No, that's too far ahead and she knows about that already... I let out a sigh as I realize where to start; at the moment when Gluttony ate Ed.

_I stare at the stout, round man in front of me as I choke back a yell. Gluttony had... He just... Gone in a... I rush forward, grabbing Gluttony's shoulders and shaking him vigorously for a moment. "Spit him out! Spit him out right now!"_

_"I don't... I don't know how..." He looks up at me, his eyes large and round. He presses a finger to his lips as he contemplates eating me too._

_"You don't know how to spit stuff back out?"_

_"No... But Father might... He knows everything!" His mouth opens wide and he gestures with his arms as he begins explaining. "Father made me and Envy and Lust and everyone else! He's amazing!"_

_I groan and step back, running my hands across my loincloth as I think. '_Gluttony can't be that stupid... He must know of a way to spit them out... What goes in, must come out, right?_' I stare at the round ball of flesh, immediately taking back my thought as he sidles over to a large bush and begins to poke it with a finger, mumbling about how hungry he is._

_So... If he doesn't know how to spit things out... Father must, right? He made the Sins, after all... I wrap my hands behind the nape of my neck and begin to pace and think. Edward can get out, right? He's smart enough... But what if he's been digested? My thoughts are interrupted as Gluttony motions for me to follow him. I do so, my curiosity peaked. _

_As we come to a stop in the middle of a small clearing, I turn to him. "What are we doing here?"_

_"Um... If you didn't come with us, I was supposed to go eat this town... I'm hoping you know where it is..."_

_"What town?"_

_"Um... Rice and bulls?"_

_I stare at him, my mind whirring. Rice and bulls? What kind of name was- Wait. That sounds awfully familiar to... "Risembool?" _

_"Yeah... That..."_

_No... If I didn't go... "Take me to Father." If I negotiate well enough, then not only can I save Risembool, but I can save Edward as well..._

"They were going to destroy us?" I feel Winry shift uncomfortably next to me and I nod a little; even though I've told my story many times, it pains me to know that if I didn't do what I was told, my home would have perished.

"Which is one of the reasons I agreed to stay with Father."

"What were the others?"

"They come a little later."

"Oh... Continue, then."

_As we enter the large room, covered in tubes, I glance around. I focus my eyes on minor landmarks, forming a map in my mind. There are chimeras placed strategically along the walls of the room, all sitting at attention and growling as we pass. I stop behind Gluttony, staring at the weathered old man sitting in what seems like a throne. "Good work, my son."_

_Gluttony grins at the praise and walks forward a bit, taking a seat at the bottom of the steps that leads up to Father's throne. "What made you come willingly, young alchemist?"_

_"I need your help."_

_"What do you need help with?"_

_"Gluttony ate my brother, as well as Envy."_

_I growl as he smiles with a fake warmth, rising from his throne. "Gluttony, go fetch the chains." He steps down and stands in front of me, his eyes showing the evil within him. "I will help you, young one."_

_"And you will spare Risembool?"_

_"I suppose so." When Gluttony returns, I allow the chains to be clipped onto my wrists and ankles, staring at Father, my gaze full of contempt._

_"It's not your turn... Father..."_

_"Very well. My son, please stay still for a moment." Father raises his hands, pressing one on Gluttony's forehead and the other on his chest. Just as he does so, the room is engulfed in light, an earsplitting scream filtering through the air. As soon as it appeared, it vanishes, leaving a very bloody Edward and Envy in its wake._

I stop talking as I see Edward out of the corner of my eye. I look up at him, my gaze sad and my eyes brimmed softly with tears. "How much did you hear?"

"All of it."


	17. Reminisce

**I hope you guys enjoyed this random, major update of chapters. In the next five or so, some more drama may unfold and a major confession is going to be made by not one, but BOTH of the Elric brothers. Winry is in for a surprise and a secret Al's been holding for a while comes to light. I'm not entirely sure how long this Fanfic will run... Possibly into the 30s? It's definitely headed into the 20s, that's for sure.**

**Don't forget to rate and review~**

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><p>"Al, why did you tell me any of that..."<p>

"You didn't exactly give me a chance to explain, did you?"

"I... I'm so sorry..."

"It's fine, Brother." I stand and look towards him, barely managing to keep my balance as he rushes towards me, engulfing me in a hug. I missed his hugs... His smell... The feel of his hair under my hand. I smile softly, glancing down at Winry who's still sitting, a hand pressed to her mouth as she holds back tears.

"Boys..."

"Al, when did you escape?"

I pull back from the hug and sit back down, waiting until Ed is seated in a chair across from us before I continue. "I had to wait a year before I could even think about escaping. Not only did Father not trust me, but he wanted to... Do something to me before I could do anything else."

_As I'm lead into a room at the back of the building, I can't help but fidget. It's been almost a month of me answering their repetitive, nonstop questions and I'm still in chains. Not that's it's uncomfortable, it's insulting. I hadn't even thought of a plan to escape, so there was really no use in it._

_"In here, Alphonse." I watch a scientist scramble around the room, a large transmutation circle in the center of the room, drawn in chalk. I stop in the center, where I was told to go, and stare down at it. "This looks like... No!" Just as the words escape from me, a bright light engulfs me and I'm sucked into my own mind, it seems like. I wait for my vision to clear before standing up and there I see it; my body._

_"Soul... You have finally returned for me..."_

_"Returned? I didn't even pay the toll..." As I'm trying to figure things out, I see a small red gem in my body's palms. "Father didn't..." I silently curse myself for allowing this to happen. I take a step back as my body moves forward, reaching out to me. "No..."_

_"Soul... Please... I've been waiting so long..." My body launches forward and slams into me, knocking my armor to the ground. I look down at my feet- My feet? I have... Feet... And hands and hand... And a body! After so long... I have my body back!_

_In what seems like a millisecond I'm thrust back into reality, the chains crushing my thighs and arms. I scream in pain as all of my senses return to me at once, everything becoming overwhelming. The brightness of the light, the roughness of the ground, the musty smell, the loudness of the voices, the taste of my own saliva and breath. I writhe for a moment, everything hitting me like a tidal wave and receding slowly, to a comfortable feeling I haven't experienced in years._

_"Welcome back. How does it feel to have a body again?" I stare up at Father who's looking down at me with a slightly proud smile. I nod meekly, my body still too weak to move effectively on its own._

_A few hours later I find myself dressed in a black uniform, much like what the Sins wear. Capped sleeves, long pants, black shoes... I sit on my bed, staring at the table that has a plate of food on it. Since I just got my body back, all they gave me was a bowl of soup and two pieces of bread; anything else could very well send my system into another overload._

_I shakily pick up the spoon and slurp the bland liquid, my free hand brushing against the cool sheets, the body conforming fabric of my uniform, the wooden table... I smile gently, indulging myself for a moment. With Edward, my goal was a dream... But with Father... My goal became achievable. As quickly as the pleasure came, I sent it away, setting myself again. I can now move forward with my plans of escape, once I get up enough strength to actually do anything._

_Everyday for weeks it was the same; some type of soup and two pieces of bread. As I slowly began to put on a pound every week, thanks to an increase in my meals, I began conditioning training. Every morning, after breakfast, I would meet with an officer in another room that had been renovated as a sort of mock gym. At first it was easy, but still strenuous; a light jog for two minutes, stretching, push ups, and sit ups. As my strength began to come out, those things slowly increased._

_Two minutes became five, then ten, then twenty. A light jog became a jog, then a light run. Push ups became the man sitting on my back and me pushing up with one arm. Everything intensified until I was finally in top condition. I then began to fight train; I would practice with dummies and then spar with my coach, eventually working up to one fighting Envy._

_After fighting came alchemy. This is where my true purpose was found. They have found Doctor Maroch's documents and I was the one they sent off to translate them. Once I had found out enough information, I concealed it, much like the Doctor had done before. After a full year went by, I made my escape._

"Al... I didn't know all that happened..." Ed looked down, his eyes avoiding mine.

"I know you didn't. I saved you guys for last because if I came here first, you would be in danger..."

"What do you say that, Alphonse?" Winry slides her hand over my back, giving my a comforting pat.

"Because I think I'm being pursued..."

"By who?"

"By Father." I let out a deep breath, preparing myself to explain the rest of what happened.


	18. Solace

**Hey guys. I was going over the plot line earlier this morning and I've picked a point at which this fanfiction will stop. Close to the early, maybe even pushing into the late thirties. I've already planned out the ending and everything, so you should look forward to that. It's kind of... Cliched romantic, but still nice. It definitely leaves way for a sequel, if I ever get inspiration to right it. The events leading up to it, I don't know exactly, but I'm going to talk to the cowriter about it and see what she thinks. ****Earlier today I realized I've never given you her name, so here it is; CrazyZimGirl97. She's under my favorite authors if you wanna go look at her stuff.**

**I don't know, really. I'm so proud of this story... More so than the others I'm writing. I'm not one to get sentimental about things, but this... I don't know. I put a lot of pride into it and finishing it is like a double edged sword.  
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><p>"Why would father want you? If their main goal is to simply capture you, couldn't they have done that already?" I look at Edward, my lips forming a thin line. This is the point of the conversation I was hoping to avoid.<p>

"Because of this." I push up the sleeves of my shirt and look at them as my arms seem to ripple, black tattoos showing up in a matter of seconds. "This is what they're after."

"Those look like Scar's tattoos..." I nod at Brother, my arms rippling again. "Why do you have them..."

"My primary job while I was there was to interpret documents and notes of alchemists that use to work for them, like Dr. Maroch. These just so happen to be the notes necessary for making a Philosopher's Stone..."

"You didn't hand them over, did you?"

"No! I copied them onto my arm and then burned them. I tattooed them on my arms right before I escaped."

"So that's why you were gone so long..."

"Yeah. I didn't want to leave the documents in their hands, lest they find the same things I did."

"Why couldn't they figure it out themselves?"

"Father tried, but he couldn't make sense of any of it. The Sins tried as well, but they were at a loss. None of the scientists were alchemists, so they wouldn't even know what they were looking at."

"Why you? Why not me?"

I shrug and let out a deep breath. "I assume that they knew you would fight back more than I. You would have called their bluff and taken a risk."

"I see..." I can see the sadness, the heartbreak in his eyes, but it soon vanishes. "Did you find out anything?"

"Yes. I was on the verge of a breakthrough!" I stand and push my sleeves back up, my arms now back to normal. I begin pacing, my hands moving as I speak. "Do you know what this means? We can finally find a substitute for the souls needed and get your limbs back!" I move to him, pressing my hands against his shoulders. "Finally, you can get what you've always wanted!"

"Al..." He stands and shrugs my hands off, looking at me. "I really only wanted to get your body back."

"But what about you?"

"I'm fine... It's only a couple of limbs, right?" He fakes a smile, his eyes sad, as if he's disappointed in something.

"But Brother..."

"No, Al. I'm fine. Seriously."

"No. I won't accept that. You put all your effort into getting mine back... I'm going to get yours back."

"Al-"

"No. I refuse to let you stay like that. We agreed we would both get our bodies back. Together." I stare at him, expecting opposition, but all I get is a smile and something truly surprising; he hugs me. Ed isn't one to really hug people, so this is a shocking moment. He had hugged me a few times in the course of our lives together. After our mother passed, after his automail surgery, and a few times when I had nightmares as a kid.

"Thanks, Al..."

I nod slowly, my cheeks flaring. Even if it has been two years... That smell, that smile... His touch. I'm still attracted to it... To him... Still... In love with him. Did I really feel so strongly about him, even after all this time? I look down at him, my gaze meeting his, a mutual connection passing between us, and before I can stop myself, I'm pulling him to me. As if I'm not in control of my body, my hands are on his shoulders and my lips are falling... Falling so close to his.

After a moment I pull back, my flush deepening to a bright red, just like his. "Edward... I... I..." By this time Winry had left the room, off to run an errand or something and thank God for that. If she were here and I did that...

"Al..." He blinks a few times, his cheeks settling back to a deeper version of their original color. He looks back at me for a moment before leaning up and pressing another, softer, sweeter kiss to my lips. "I love you... I always have..."

I wrap my arms around his waist, pulling him up against me, closing my eyes. I rest my chin on his head and smile. "I love you too..." At this moment, as my arms slide around his small frame, something inside me settles as if a part of me had been missing all this time. I breath in the soft scent of his hair, a smile forming on my lips as I remember those countless nights when he had nightmares, my metal hand coming down on this same head, soothing it back to sleep.

It's funny, actually. Most people say you don't realize what you have until it's gone, but I think in my case... I knew what I had, I just never thought it would be taken away.


	19. Wounded

**I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter. I don't think I'm going to do the lemon. I may do a lemon one shot, but... I feel like if I were to do that I'd ruin this story. In my mind, the whole plot is supposed to foretell a message and if I were to throw lemon into that mix... It would cancel out the message, you know? Anyway. In this chapter some more stuff arises and yada yada yada.**

**The song in this chapter is written by _moi. _Pretty cool, right? No, not really. It wasn't that hard.  
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><p>"Al, wake up." I hear a voice above me, but I ignore it; sleep is so nice and I'm so comfortable. The voice increases in volume and I mumble, my eyes snapping open as I'm pushed off the couch, landing on the floor.<p>

"Jesus Christ!" I sit up and rub my head, glaring at the blond boy sitting on the couch where I had been laying not even a minute before. "Thanks for waking me up like that..."

"I made breakfast!" He grins and motions to a plate on the table. I asses the eggs, bacon, and toast, a small smile coming to my lips. He was the worst cook last time he and I were together, but not, his creations actually looked pretty good. "It's the best I have so far, but I'm getting better."

"It looks great." I sit next to him and pick up the plate, poking my fork into the eggs. I chew them thoughtfully, a small smile drifting across my face. "And tastes even better."

"Really? This is my second attempt."

"What did the first one look like?"

"Um... Well... It was pretty bad." He looks down, staring at his feet for a moment before continuing. "Winry tried to teach me, but it didn't go over so well..."

"How about I teach you?" I nibble on a piece of bacon, looking over at him. "Mom taught me and she made it really simple."

"She did?"

"Yeah. You were usually practicing alchemy or reading. I spent a lot of time with her in the kitchen." I set my empty plate on the table and wipe my hands on a napkin, resting back on the couch.

"Oh... I guess I missed a lot of stuff, huh?"

"Unless you count measuring flour exciting, then no." I smile and scoot closer to him, resting my hand on his. Since yesterday morning, nothing had really changed except for our consciousness of each other. When we brushed up against each other, one of us blushed or if we were sitting next to each other, we would sit closer... Common, average things that everyone did.

"I do... You spent a lot of time with her..."

"But so did you." I lean up so I'm right beside him and I smile, turning his face so we're eye to eye. "She was really proud of all the work you were doing. You know that, right?"

"Yeah..." He nods and picks up my plate, moving into the kitchen. I follow him, glancing around the small room. "Oh, I set out some clothes and some towels in the bathroom in case you wanted to shower."

"Thanks..." I move next to him and watch him as he washes the dishes, humming softly under my breath. "You remember that song that mom use to sing to us when we had nightmares?"

"Yeah." He sets the plate to drain and starts humming with me before we both start singing it.

_Hush, little bird_

_Don't say a word_

_Everything will be alright_

_Just go to sleep,_

_My little bird_

_Sleep tight, sleep tight._

As our voices fade out with the last word, tears come to my eyes. "It's the song you sing to me when I have a nightmare..." He turns to me, tears welling up in his eyes just like mine.

"You know about that?"

"Yeah... I wake up and lay there, while you sing to me..." He chuckles and dries off his hands, smiling wide. "I'm not fully awake when you do all that stuff, but I can still feel it..."

"Oh... I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. It's nice to know that you do that." He slides into me, wrapping his arms around my waist, resting his head on my chest. "It's nice to know someone cares..."

"Yeah." I pat his head, the song playing again in my mind. I had never remembered where I heard it until a few months after I started singing it to him. I was humming it as I was making breakfast and it just... Hit me. I gently push him off and head out of the kitchen. "I'm going to get a shower."

"Okay." He heads back into the living room, settling on the couch. I enter the small bathroom and turn on the water, watching it circle down into the drain. I step into the stream, wincing as I feel the hot water his my back. I glance over to the opposite wall, my eyes falling to rest on the mirror. I hadn't closed the shower curtain, so my body was in full view of the mirror.

I turn to my back is to it and I look over my shoulder, my eyes grazing over the long, almost fully healed scratches and the thin, shiny scars. I grimace as I remember the training. It was much worse than I had made it out, which is what I intended... If I had gone into full detail, then Ed would have worried.

"Al, I forgot to give you a shirt." He knocks onto the door and then enters the bathroom, not giving me enough time to close the curtain. He looks in the mirror, and then at me, his eyes wide as he registers the marks on my back. "Al..."


	20. Forever

**Hello dears. Don't you just love me and cliffhangers? You know you do. Besides, I have confirmed the ending (even though my partner has no idea what's going to happen.) Well, she has a little bit of an idea, but not much. She knows what'll happen, but not who its going to happen to. Every chapter, starting now, I will be giving you one word hints on the ending. I'm planning on having this end sometime around chapter 33 or 34. I feel like 14 chapters will give me a good amount of space, as well as extra if need be. I'm also thinking about doing an epilogue, but I'm not sure yet.**

**Ready for your clue? It is...** _White._

**Pretty... Mysterious, huh? As well as vague. As we go on they'll start to make sense.**

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><p>"Al, start talking. Now." I pull on my shirt as I walk into the living room, a towel in hand. Brother had turned and walked out of the bathroom, refusing to talk to me about anything until I explained what those marks were. "What happened to you?"<p>

"I told you. When they were rehabilitating me, it got pretty brutal." I rub my head with the towel, wincing as the cotton fabric of the shirt press against my still aching back. "What more is there to explain?"

"Some of them look fresh!"

"Well, I was being chased..." I sit on the couch, avoiding his gaze. There's no way I can look at him right now. "I got into a few fights along the way..."

"A few fights? I've gotten into a 'few fights' and never came out looking like that!"

"What do you want me to say, Edward?" I'm on my feet now, my anger rising. It's always like this. I do something and he questions it, but when I question him, he ignores me. "I betrayed you! I betrayed the army! I even betrayed some of the people in Xing, but it was to save you guys!"

"What happened in Xing, Al? What aren't you telling me!"

My hands curl into fists and I grit my teeth. There I go, speaking before thinking. "They caught me, just after I got into Xing..."

"And?"

"And... They had me make Stones, okay?" I toss the towel on the couch, pacing around the room. I run my hands over my face, preparing for his yells, his lecture, and inevitably, his disappointment.

"You did what...?"

"I made Stones. They made me use villages... If I didn't, they threatened... They..."

"What did they say they were gonna do, Al?"

"They said they were going to take you, May... Even Winry, and... Do the same thing they did to me..." Tears are welling up in my eyes; a salty mixture of pain, anger, and disappointment. The pain of the memories; before and after the accident, being in a metal body, having to hide my love, betraying him and everyone else... The pain of being pushed passed my limits. The anger of them threatening me with something so cruel, anger at myself for not fighting harder... Disappointment in myself for everything.

I've always been weaker than Brother. I've never been as good as him in alchemy, or figuring things out... The only place I really excelled was fighting. My armor could withstand almost any blow, so I wasn't really doing anything. All I did was hit and kick until my enemy went down.

"Al... Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I didn't want you to worry." I stare at him, my tears dropping off my chin and dotting my black t-shirt. I knew if I told him anything other than the basics... He would get angry at not only me and the Sins, but at himself. He would blame himself for not stopping me... "I didn't want you to blame yourself..."

He steps forward and takes my hands, wiping my tears with his other, normal hand. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Yeah..."

"No more secrets?"

"I promise."

"Then I have to tell you something." He guides me to the couch and sits me down, sitting next to me. "It's... Important."

"Just tell me, Brother..."

"It has to do with Mustang."

As soon as I hear his name, a flare of jealousy erupts in me. "What about Mustang?"

"After you left... He tried to get me to apologize. He said that he would do anything..." He fumbles around in his jacket pocket for a moment and presents me with a silver pocketwatch. "It took some arm bending, but he gave it back..."

"He took your license?"

"No. He took yours." He hands me the watch, pressing my fingers over it. "I hope its your watch. I couldn't get it open..."

"Because I sealed it with alchemy." I run my thumb over the cover and smile as I see the inscription.

"You can't make a rainbow without a little rain..." He leans against my arm, his hand sliding over my mine. "It's beautiful, Al."

"You're the one that said it." I press my lips to the top of his head, closing the pocketwatch and setting it on a table, wrapping my arms around him.

"Did I really?"

"One night, after you had woken from a nightmare, you kept saying it over and over..."

"I'm pretty wise when I wanna be..."

"Yes, yes you are." I smile, my fingers trailing along his forearms. I turn to my back is against the arm of the couch and he settle on top of me, his head resting on my chest, my legs on either side of his waist. I breath in the honey scent of his hair, my eyes closing.

"Al?"

"Yeah?"

"If you could do anything in your life, what would it be and why?"

"I don't know... What would you do?" I'm about to ask again, but a soft snore fills the air. He fell asleep without hearing my answer. I kiss his forehead, my mind circling back to his question, an answer entering my mind as I snuggle down on the couch, resting my head on the arm. "Stay like this forever..."


	21. Fate's Decision

**Hello my dear readers. I'm very happy to see my ratings; last month I passed 1,000 viewers in the US alone. I almost fell off my chair when I saw that. The other top two countries were Australia and the UK, which I'm not all too shocked about. Anyway, moving onto my plans for the series. Like I said I'm planning on finishing around chapter 34. There's going to be a good amount of drama in them, so look out for that.**

**And I almost forgot about the one world clue thing. In case you guys don't remember the one from last time, it was **_White._ **Ready for this chapter's clue? **_Question._ **Vague, isn't it? Once you guys get the rest of them, I'm sure (if you think real hard) you can figure it out.**

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><p>"Brother, I think I found a way to get your body back!" I'm yelling as I run into the living room, a texbtook in hand. I'd been studying for two days without stopping except for the food Ed had brought me. When I woke up on the couch a few days prior, I had an epiphany. It hit me like a wall and I felt so stupid for not have thinking of it before.<p>

While I wasn't possible to revive a person that had passed through the Gate, nobody ever said anything about a limb. In order to completely make or revive a person, you would need a soul as well as a mind, but since Ed already had his soul, you would just be attatching something to him.

A limb wouldn't be hard to make once I gathered all the elements necessary for making it, but I couldn't do it alone. I would need help from someone skilled in alchemy, as well as the medical field. May was out of the question since she was all the way in Xing, but there was still one person...

"Al! Al!" I'm pulled from my thoughts as I feel a sharp thump to my chest. "What did you figure out?"

"Start packing. I'll tell you on the train."

~*~ Later ~*~

"Are you serious?" Ed sits next to me, staring at the floor. "I never even thought of that..."

"I know. It's why I've been up for so long..." I sigh and lean back against the seat, staring up at the ceiling. "I know Izumi won't help us..."

"Then where are we going?"

"To see Jeremiah." I look over at him, smiling gently. I had dropped in to see Jeremiah before I went home, which he was happy about. "It's been a while since I've seen him..."

"It'll be nice to talk to him again." He settles down and rests his head on my shoulder, closing his eyes. "He really changed my views on stuff."

"Yeah..." A yawn escapes my lips and I shut my eyes, leaning my head against the back of the seat and before I know it, I'm sound asleep.

~*~ Even Later ~*~

"Al, wake up..." I blink a few times, my vision clearing to see large golden eyes peering into mine. "We're here."

I groan and sit up, rubbing my neck to get out the kinks. "How long was I asleep?"

"The whole ride here." He hands me my jacket and I pull it on, cracking my neck and sighing in relief. "Ew... That's gross..."

"Well I'm sorry my bone popping grosses you out." I chuckle and pick up our bags, heading out of the train car and into the station. I glance around as I see only a handful of people in the station. "Do you think something's going on?"

"Probably. Let's go to town and see." I follow him down the road, towards Town Hall, where a large congregation of people has accumulated. I peer around the crowd, my eyes focusing on Jeremiah who is headed towards us.

"Jeremiah, what's going on?"

"Alphonse, since you were last here the rebellion has intensified in violence... Something the police force did sparked a riot."

"Have you tried stopping it?"

"I'm going to try speaking to the people and see if they will listen."

I nod slowly, setting the two suitcases at my feet. "What if something happens?"

"If something happens, my child, then it was meant to be. There is nothing I can do to stop fate." He gives me a warm smile and hugs both of us, turning to walk away. "Remember that, children."

I watch him walk away, people parting to give him a clear path to the steps. As he takes position behind a podium and begins speaking, I feel Ed tug on my shirt. I look down at him and he points to a small car, forcing its way through the traffic. "It looks like a military car..."

I nod, my eyes flickering between it and Jeremiah as two people step from the car; Hawkeye and... Mustang? "Jeremiah! The King has warned you about interfering in the matters of the police!"

"Colonel, I am merely trying to reason with the protesters!"

"Jeremiah, I'm sorry, but we've given you chances to stop this foolish rebellion!"

"I'm sorry, Colonel, but you can't stifle the peoples voice." Jeremiah sends the Colonel an icy glare, his usual smile transforming into a frown. "The King is trying to do just that and he is going to fail!"

"That's not the way we see it, Jeremiah." I focus on Mustang, my eyes widening as he raises a gun, his eyes narrowing as he begins to aim. The next few moments seem to slow down even they it's just a matter of seconds. A gunshot echoes throughout the air and I look back to Jeremiah, calling out as I see his knees buckle, red liquid spreading across his shirt as he falls to the ground.

His son rushes to him and Mustang signals something, two lines of police officers filing onto the scene, ushering protesters away from Town Hall. I pick up the suitcases and take Ed's hand, leading him down the road.

"Al-"

"Just... Hush until we get to where we're going."

"But Al-"

"Edward." I glance over at him, my gaze sad. "Trust me."


	22. Legacy

**Hello my amazingly wonderful fans. We've starting winding down, so I would like to take this author's note to fill you on some updates and the next three chapters, seeing as they're extremely important. First, the updates; I have decided to extend the end chapter from 34 to possibly 40. I just talked with my cowriter, **_CrazyZimGirl97 _**and as we were going over the events, twelve chapters may not be enough.  
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**Now we're onto the plots of the next three chapters. Obviously, you're going to have a funeral, which is this one. 23 will be somewhat of a filler, but not really. It has filler qualities. 24 will be a fight and a discovery. 25 will be some recovery and all that jazz.**

**I now realize this author's note section is extremely long, so here is my last thing to discuss; the next clue. So far they have been **_White and Question. _**Your next one is... **_Yes. _**Again, it's vague, but it makes sense. Remember, all of these clues have to do with the ending, meaning the very last chapter.**

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><p>"Taylor, I'm sorry for your loss..." The church held a mild buzz of about twenty people donned in black, each passing by Taylor, expressing their condolences. I look at him for a moment before walking over, putting a hand on his shoulder. He turns to me and smiles, his eyes slightly red, evidence that he had been crying earlier.<p>

"Al... Thanks for coming..."

"I had to. If I didn't, I don't think I could ever face you again..." I shake my head softly, pulling a handkerchief from my pocket. I press it into his hand and he nods his thanks, dabbing his eyes. "He was an extremely brave man, you know."

"I know... After you left the last time you were here, we were talking about standing up to King Bradley... I think he was serious." He smiles at this, clenching the white cloth tightly in his hands. "I thought it was just a joke at first, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." A sigh escapes my lips, my forced smile quickly turning into a frown. "The King went too far..."

"Al, I just... I don't know what to do now..." He looks up at me, emotion evident in his voice, his eyes beginning to well with tears. "I don't know what to do..."

"You have to keep going on, Taylor... You can't let this st-" I'm cut off as he hugs me, his sobs racking his shoulders. "Calm down." I pat his back, looking over to see Ed standing next to a small group of people. He smiles at me and I nod, rubbing Taylor's back. "Taylor, it's going to be fine, trust me."

"How can you be so sure?" He looks up at me, wiping his eyes with the handkerchief. "Why are you so calm?"

"Do you think I haven't had people pass in my life?" I take the cloth from him and fold it, wiping his cheeks with it. "My life is far from perfect, Taylor. My mom passed away when I was barely nine years old. My dad walked out on my brother and I even earlier than that. I've seen comrades from all over Amestris and even Xing fall at the hand of the government and their enemies."

He looks down at his feet, his hands sliding into his pockets. "I'm sorry, I just... My mom died when I was a baby, so I don't really know what it's like to have a person leave so suddenly like that..."

I place my hands on his shoulders and look him straight in the eye, a genuine smile on my face. "Trust me, Taylor, your father may not be living, but he's far from dead. He made an impact on everyone around him and so long as they act for the betterment of the people, he will always be alive. He's done so much for me, and so long as I'm able to, I will pass on his message."

"Thank you... Thank you so much, Alphonse..." He returns my smile and excuses himself, headed for the minister. I slip the cloth into my pocket, glancing over as Edward approaches me, taking my hand.

"That was amazing, what you did for him."

"All I did was speak the truth."

"Still, I could tell that really had an impact on him."

"Well, the truth can do that." I run my thumb over the back of his palm, walking out of the small church, him in tow. As we round the corner, heavy footfalls sound behind us and I turn around, my eyes resting on Taylor who's running to us. "Did something else happen?"

"No, no... The minister found this in my father's drawer. It had your names on it and I know you're planning on heading out tomorrow... I didn't want to forget to give it to you." He presses a thick, long envelope in my hand and I slip it inside my coat. "I don't know what's in it, but not too long ago he was writing something. He said it was a letter to someone important and I'm hoping that important person is you."

"Thank you, Taylor."

"And before you go... Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"I saw you guy's talking with him before he... You know... What did he say to you?"

"He said that there was nothing he could do to stop fate." Ed releases my hand, pulling something from his pocket as he continues speaking. "He knew the risks of what he was doing, yet he chose to do them anyway. He was extremely brave and I hope you can do what he did." He pulls a think silver chain from his pocket and from the chain, a medallion of the transmutation circle hangs. "A friend of mine gave this to me as a sign of hope, but I feel like you need it."

Taylor takes the small medallion and folds his hand over it, looking up at us. "You two... I'm not sure what you're doing, but I hope you succeed."

"The same to you, my friend." I nod and take Ed's hand again, turning back towards the road. "Don't hesitate to call if you need us."

"I won't forget." I can hear his chuckle as he heads back towards the church.

"Brother?"

"Yeah?"

I stop for a moment, under the overhang of a store that closed for the night. I turn to him and press my lips to his head, giving his hand a soft squeeze. We stay like that for a few minutes, his head barely pressing against my chest. "I love you."


	23. Mourning

**I just realized, about ten minutes ago, that I left off chapter 21 with a cliffhanger. I then remembered I wrote a note to continue it in chapter 22 but all my note to myself said was this, 'CH21 FI22.' I had no idea what those words meant, so I ignored it until this morning when it hit me like a brick wall. So, to make up for it, this chapter will be from Ed's POV and it will solve the question of where Al lead him. This chapter is a little rushed because I don't have all that much time, but I did my best. I'm having a major case of writer's block right now...  
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**Before I begin, and forget, I want to give you guys the next clue. Your past three are as follows :: **_White, Question, _**and**_ Yes._** Are you ready for your next one? It is...**_ Fire._ **I know, it seems like it makes no sense, but you're going to need a few more to form a hypothesis on the ending.**

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><p>I hear the gunshot, but I can't really believe I'm seeing it until Jeremiah falls to the ground, red beginning to spread over his shirt. I blink a few times and suddenly I'm yanked to the left, Al hurriedly walking away from the chaos. "Hush and come along."<p>

"Al, where are we going?" I follow along behind him, my mind whirring. He told me to hush and then started to pull me in the direction of God knows where.

"That's not important right now, we just have to get out of this madness."

"But Al-"

"Just trust me."

I nod and jog to catch up to him, slowing as he begins walking normally.

~*~ Later ~*~

I glance around, blinking a few times so my vision can clear. I'm in a somewhat dim room, laying on a cot, in an unfamiliar place. I have all my limbs, or what's left of them, and I'm not hurt. All of that is clear to me.

"I'm glad you're awake." I glance up, my eyes resting on Al, who's holding a small plate of food. It smells Heavenly, but my stomach is doing flip flops. "Are you hungry?"

"No... I... Where are we?"

"Do you not remember?"

"Sort of, but... Not really."

"Well, we were in town and Jeremiah was there-" I cut him off by raising a hand, my eyes focused on the sheets. I thought it all had been a dream, but I guess not. "So you remember, then?"

"I wish I didn't, but yes..."

"Eat this. It should help you feel better."

"I'm not hungry..." I lied, my fork soaring towards the eggs on the plate. I was actually starving, but I didn't want to be. I had just witnessed a man being murdered, basically, but still I found energy to eat... I set my fork on the empty plate, a sigh escaping my lips. "Al?"

"Yeah?"

"Why was Jeremiah killed?"

"Because..." He stops as he collects my plates, setting them in a room off of the one I'm in. "He was trying to rebel."

"It didn't seem that way."

"Well, King Bradley is a cruel man, even if he seems fairly pleasant. In ordering Mustang to kill Jeremiah, he was exercising his rights as the ruler, even if it was extremely wrong."

"But... Al... Jeremiah did nothing wrong... If anything he was doing the right thing..."

"But that doesn't matter to Bradley. He wants to maintain control, albeit he's doing it the wrong way..." He sits next to me on the bed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Plus, Taylor's still here... He can carry on what his Father was doing."

"But won't he get shot?"

"That's not likely. Taylor's witnessed the mistakes that were made first hand. He'll probably fix them and start the rebellion all over again."

I yawn, my eyes becoming droopy again. "Where are we, anyway?"

"In the basement of a friend's house, now go to sleep. You suffered a major shock and rest is the best thing for you."

"Will you sleep with me?" I look up at him, my vision beginning to blur. I know I'm only a few moments from falling asleep, but I feel like if he's here, I'll be safe...

"I promise." He lays me back and pulls the covers just under my chin, pressing a cheek to my forehead. "Now goodnight."

I mumble some type of reply, but it could have been anything. The only thing I'm set on is falling asleep.

~*~ The Next Day ~*~

I groan and roll over, pulling the blanket over my head. I had slept like a log the entire night, but I was still tired and had no intention of waking up any time soon, until (of course) the smell of bacon reached my nose. "I'm up, I'm up!" I hop out of bed and follow the smell, grinning as I see Al at the stove. "You make the best bacon."

"Well, I try my best." He slides it onto a plate and I sit at the table, picking up my fork. "After you eat, you should shower. They're having a funeral for Jeremiah today."

"Oh..." I chew on a forkful of eggs, my mind going back to the previous day, reliving every moment. The train, the shooting, coming here...

"Don't be so sad, Brother."

"But he's dead, Al..."

"I'm well aware of that, but you shouldn't be sad. You can mourn, of course, but you should celebrate the life he had and how much he's done for the community."

"Still..."

"I know, I know, but really... How do you think he would feel if he was here right now and saw us sulking? He would want us to go on with our lives. He would want us to put our emotions over what happened into something productive and try to continue with his mission and get his message to the people."

"I suppose so..." I pick up a glass next to my plate and take a sip without realizing what I'm drinking. As soon as I swallow I wrinkle my nose, setting the glass down. "Gross... Milk..." I look up as I hear chuckling, my brow furrowing. "Stop laughing at me, Al! You know I hate milk!"


	24. Switch

**Hello my dears. This chapter is mainly modeled after humor, but there is some underlying drama. I didn't have a set plan for it, just a basic idea, so its not very good in terms of my usual products... I've been dying to get to this one, actually. I've been drafting some of it on notebook paper and everything, but nothing was really set it stone. I actually wrote some of it while I supposed to be in class, but oh well. I knew the material that was being taught, so there's no loss in my education.**

**I almost forgot; the clues. So far they have been **_White, Question, Yes, and Fire._ **The next one is... **_Tears._** Vague, like all of them, but when they come together it'll make sense. Anway, on with the chapter.**

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><p>"Brother, what would you like for dinner?" Armed with a spoon and a pot, I enter the living room. Focusing my gaze on the lump on the couch, I smile; he had fallen asleep about an hour ago. "Brother, wake up."<p>

"Mmhghmm..." He mumbles and rolls over, his back to me. "No.."

"Brother, wake up. It's dinner time." I set the utensils down on a table and kneel next to the couch, pressing a hand to his shoulder. "Come on, sleepy head."

"I don't wanna..." He pulls the blanket over his head and mumbles something I can't hear.

"Brother, wake up." I pull the blanket off his head, pulling him gently so he's on his back. "If you sleep any longer you'll be up all night."

"Fine, fine..." He sits up and rubs his eyes, stretching a bit. "What are we having for dinner?"

"What do you want?" I stand and pick up the pot, humming for a moment. "We have stuff for pasta, soup, burgers, sandwiches..."

"Can I have some pasta?" At this he stands, now fully awake. He smiles wide and walks into the kitchen, sitting down at the table.

"Spaghetti, macaroni, alfredo..." I peer into the cabinet, pulling out a box of alfredo noodles. "How about shrimp alfredo?" Usually I made spaghetti and even though it was good, the same old thing got tiresome after a while.

"Sounds delicious." He puts the water on and peers into the pot, as if waiting for something amazing to happen. "Al?"

"Yeah?"

"The water's not boiling..."

"It has to heat up first." I set out a separate pot for the sauce, letting butter melt and simmer at a low heat before adding cheese and milk. "A watched pot never boils."

"Oh..." He leans against the counter, watching me work, a curious look on his face. "How do you know how to do all that?"

"It's not hard. Plus, I did this all the time when I was in the armor, remember? How do you think you survived?" I chuckle and he follows suit after a minute, resuming his position at the table.

"Yeah, I guess so."

After the noodles boil and a savory scent fills the air, I set two plates on the table. I pick up a fork and give the pasta a final stir before digging in. "Bon appetit." He chews thoughtfully for a moment, soon going in for another bite.

"This is delicious!"

"Well I would hope so." I wipe my mouth and sip my water, glancing at the clock. It's just after seven and our train leaves at eleven the following morning. We would have a couple hours of leisure time if we packed tonight and went to bed early. "Where should we head first, Dublith or the North?"

"Dublith." I can barely hear him through the slurping water in between the chewing of the noodles. "Master Izumi is there right?"

"Well, yeah, but do you think she would be supportive?"

"Yeah. I mean, it's not terrible or anything, right?"

"I suppose so." We finish the rest of the dinner in silence and as I'm washing the dishes, I can feel his presence beside me, watching me with ever curious eyes. "Would you like to try, o Observer of Everything?"

"Well... Okay..." I move to the side a little, letting him slip his hands into the water and move the soapy cloth over the glossy surface of a plate. "It's hot..."

"You're supposed to wash dishes in hot water. It kills the germs." I rinse off my last plate, setting it on the rack to dry. I glance over at him as he does the same, seemingly lost in thought. I smile and press a gentle kiss to his lips, resulting into him dancing back across the room, his eyes wide in surprise.

"What the hell was that?"

"What?" I dry off my hands and look back at him, my eyes equally wide. It was just a kiss... Why did he flip out like that?

"You... You kissed me..." He presses his fingers to his lips, his face quickly turning a light shade of red. "Why the heck would you do that? I'm your brother!"

"Who are you and what did you do with my brother?" Ed would never react like this to a kiss; so many times he had kissed me first, hugged me first, done everything first and I'd done the same. Why now, of all times, would he be reacting like this?

"Wh-what do you mean...? I am Edward..."

"Oh yeah?" My eyes narrow in suspicion; something's wrong... "What's the name of the son of the men who's funeral we went to a week ago?"

"Um... Um... Johnathon?"

"Wrong." I take a step forward, pushing up the sleeves of my shirt. "You get one more chance. Who are you?"


	25. Deja Vu

**Hello my duckies. Sorry I haven't updated in a while; major writer's block.**

**This series is almost done... Only 14 chapters left... I'm gonna miss this a lot. This is my baby, but there's always more fanfictions to come. I'm planning on some one shots that relate back to this, but it won't be the same... With this series, I went international and my viewers reached to 2k. I can't take all the credit, though. My cowriter (who has no idea of the surprises I have coming) has been a major help. **CrazyZimGirl97 **I believe is her name, so thank her. Now, on to the clue!**

**So far they have been:: **_White, Question, Yes, Fire, and Tears. _**This chapter's is...**_ Rain. _**If you think real hard, you'll figure it out. I know you guys are smart.**

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><p>"Who are you?" I step forward again, my eyes ablaze. This... This impostor had the gall to waltz in here, expecting to take the role of Edward? Of all the people, Edward would have been the first choice. I'd been with him my entire life... He was my brother, and damn it all to Hell, my lover. "Tell me, now. Who are you?"<p>

"I.. I'm..." He blinked up at me, his eyes still wide from the... Surprise. I guess he didn't know about our relationship. "I'm..."

"Who are you?"

"Envy!"

"You..." This time I don't take I step, I launch forward, pinning him back against the wall. "What did you do with him?"

"Like I would tell you!"

"Where is he?" This time I press my hands against his shoulders, slamming him back into the wall a little, just for good measure. "Tell me or so help you God..."

"So help me God what? You're not strong enough to do anything." At his words my hands starting glowing a light blue and he lets out a yelp; back in Xing an elderly woman had taught me how to change the temperature in certain parts of my body. Right now, my hands felt like hunks of ice. "Fine, fine!"

"You'll tell me?" My hands begin to fade and I ease off a little, still wary. I had been in this situation multiple times and I knew what Envy was capable of.

"I'll do you one better."

"What's that?"

"I'll take you there myself."

"Tell me where it is first."

"If I did that, you might go guns blazing. We wouldn't want that."

"Why not?"

"Because of what's going on with your brother."

I bite my tongue after his words reach my ears. What could they be doing to him? Did they take him, knowing I would do everything to get him back? They may very well still be after me and used him as bait to get me back there... _'Is it really worth it? To lose your freedom, maybe even your life, just to save him?' _As soon as the thought enters my head, I shove it away. Without Edward... It's unbearable just thinking about it. "Take me to him."

~*~ Later that Evening ~*~

My eyes grow wide as we come upon a building I would more than like to forget. Made of solid brick with metal shingles for a roof, this old, worn warehouse held a terror inside that was unimaginable. As if it were my own personal Hell, the headquarters of the Sins kept coming back to me. "Someone up to there has to hate me..."

"Tell me about it." Envy chuckled, pressing a hand to the solid steel door. "Ready?"

"No." I let out a deep breath and walk forward, glancing at him. "I'm not going to be ambushed am I?"

"If I told you then it wouldn't be an ambush, would it?"

Staying far enough behind him, I follow Envy into the darkness of the building. After blinking a few times to help my eyes adjust, I stop as I see machines lining the wall opposite the one where the door was located. "Remember those, do ya?"

At the sounds of Envy's voice, I direct my attention away from them. "No..."

"Come on Al. Wasn't it so much fun, making all those Philosopher's Stones?"

"Shut up." I cast a glare his way, my anger seething when he just laughs and walks on. He stops in front of another door and enters, not even waiting for me to follow. As I jog to catch up with him, I notice the dimming light as we walk further down the hallway. Pushing all questions aside, I focus on yet another door, which we then enter. At first, I only see a machine much like the one I was put into to check my vitals before they put me through training. Then, I notice the person in the machine. "Edward."

"Al..." His breath is raspy and weighted, as if he's struggling to breath. He turns his head, ever so slowly, and looks at me through the hardened plastic. With an oxygen mask on and his limbs tied down, he's never looked so weak... So defenseless. I immediately turn to Envy, my anger flaring.

"What did you do to him?"

"Nothing life threatening, of course." After seating himself on the edge of the contraption he looks up at me, a devilish look in his eye. "The rest of what happens to him depends on you."

"What do you mean?"

"We need your talent, Alphonse."

I glance between him and Edward, my mind going back to what happened years ago before I surrendered to Father. Edward was in a situation in which I thought he could never get out of on his own, yet he did anyway... The only difference is that this time, I know he can't do it on his own. He's bonded to a table and a flimsy mask if giving him air... As my hands curl into fists I look down, willing myself to hold back tears. I never thought I would be faced with a decision like this again... "What do I have to do?"


	26. Saved

**Hello again my duckies. This chapter was really hard to write for me. I had the idea for it and everything, I just didn't know what to say... I hate writer's block so much. Everybody does, right? I'm not the only one. I've also come to realize I'm just talking to myself in these author's notes. Yeah, you guys read them, but I'm typing them to myself until I publish the chapters. Anyway. In total, this series is probably going to end at about chapter 41 or 42. It seems like a long ways away, but its really not. Just think; I've only been typing this entire thing for about a month and thirteen days (I checked.) We're already 26 chapters in. With only 15/16 to go, that'll be two or three weeks. That's not that long.**

**Before I get completely emotional, here's the next clue. Here's a total list of the ones you've had in the past; **_White, Question, Yes, Fire, Tears, and Rain._**Your new one is...** _Forever._** If y'all can't figure out the ending by now, there's more to come; one for every chapter until the ending.**

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><p>"Are you sure that's the only thing I can do?"<p>

"Either do that or leave him here. I'm the only one that can unlock the capsule and get him out." Just for good measure, Envy then sat atop the Plexiglas and crossed his arms over his chest. "What will it be? Save your brother or leave him here?"

I let out a sigh, my eyes resting on the limp body inside the machine. Shoved into this situation again... Would it ever end? Could he and I ever live normal lives? _'Not while Father is around.' _At this thought I look up at Envy, my mind set. "I'll do it."

-`-`-`-`- New Line Break -`-`-`-`-

As I stare at the transmutation circle before me, I can't help but curse at myself. I actually thought they wouldn't find me. I thought that I would be safe and Edward and I could finally live in peace. I believed that everything would be okay so long as they couldn't find me. As I kneel at the edge of the circle, I close my eyes, just for a moment. And then it hits me.

Originally, Envy had asked me to heal him. He had gotten into another fight with one of the Sins and he was almost at his limit. But, if I were to turn the tables, I may be able to kill Envy and get Ed out of here. As I rest my fingertips against the border of the circle, I make that split second decision and send a bolt of energy straight towards him.

I shift to both knees, forcing more power into the attack, my eyes shutting tightly as I hear his screams which are quickly joined by my own. Alchemy is based upon one, very simple property; matter cannot be created or destroyed. By using alkahestry, I had summoned the energy from the earth and combined it with the natural static in the air, which I pulled with regular, Amestris alchemy. I hadn't thought the process through and when I combined them, it sent sparks soaring up my arms, burning my forearms and hands.

With a final attack and another bolt of pain, Envy is sent flying in one direction and I the other. I wince as my back slams into the wall, sending a resounding crack throughout my body. I let myself fall to the floor and stay like that for a good ten minutes, my chest heaving and my vision fading in and out of focus. Never before had I done such a thing; sending raw energy waves to something before. May had said it was possible, if absolutely necessary and only to be used as a last resort. Now I know why.

I struggle to my feet, using the wall for balance, and shuffle my way out of the room, back to where the machines were. I kneel next to the one Ed is in and press my hands against the Plexiglas, the cool surface sending ripples of pain through my tender hands. I look at his body, my mind whirring; Envy put him in there somehow... If it were like the machine I was put in when I was captured the lock should be...

I press my fingertips under the machine, smiling as I hear a gentle click. I push the top open and pull off his mask, watching his eyes flutter open. "Al... Al, where am I?"

Before I get a chance to respond, I can feel myself slipping out of consciousness. Then everything goes black.

-`-`-`-`- New Line Break -`-`-`-`-

I roll over, a sudden pain coursing through my arms. I let out a yelp of agony, quieting as I feel a hand on my head, words coming soon after. "Sh.. It's alright. Go back to sleep."

I open my eyes, smiling as I see Edward above me. I'm laying on a mattress in what looks like the guest room at Granny's. I settle onto my back, catching a glimpse of my bandaged arms. I can't remember any of the events of the last day. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you later. You need your rest right now."

"Edward... I'm glad you're safe..." I can feel sleep closing in on me, but it can't take me yet. I have one more thing to say.

"I'm glad your safe."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." He presses his lips to my forehead and my eyes flutter closed, allowing the black void to engulf me.


	27. Premonition

**Hey y'all. Sorry I haven't updated in a while; I've had projects and crap due. Anyway! I plan on updating 3 or so chapters soon. I don't know when, but it will be more towards the end. This chapter will have a bit of romance and emotional scenes; if you read the last chapter then it pretty much foreshadowed this. The end is getting closer and rather than ending in the late forties, it may end in the late thirties/early forties. As of right now, I'm having some trouble deciding how long certain parts are gonna be.**

**Now, the clue! So far they have been; **_White, Question, Yes, Fire, Tears, Rain,_ __Forever. __**Your new one is...**_Future._**Mad yet? No. Okay. On with the story!**

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><p>I let out a low groan, grimacing as sunlight hits my eyes. I had a terrible nightmare and I wanted to forget it. As I'm trying to wipe the images from my mind, a searing pain roars up my arms, blasting my hands with what seems like fire. I let out a scream, which quiets to a high whimper as a needle punctures my arm, filtering medicine into my body. It's then that I remember I didn't have a nightmare; it was all real.<p>

"Al, calm down..." I open my eyes and see Edward above me, a sad smile on his lips, his hands working over my arms. "I gave you some morphine, but I can't do much more..."

"Edward..." I look at my arms, swathed in bandages and tightly wound gauze. I try to wiggle my fingers, but even that causes too much pain. "It hurts..."

"I know. Just try to lie still for a while. I called for someone-" He's about to continue, but he's silenced by a knock on the door. "That would be them now. Hold tight."

I rest back on the pillow, staring at the ceiling. My valiant efforts to save my love ended up with me on the bed and him taking care of me... "It should be the opposite..." I grimace as I accidentally move my hands.

"Dear Lord... I had no idea it was this bad." I sit up, my eyes widening as I see Taylor standing next to Ed. "How did this happen?"

"Taylor... Should you be back at the church?"

"I have someone else looking over it for me. I came as soon as Edward called." He takes a seat next to the bed, a small bag in hand. "How did this happen?"

I explain it to him quickly, staring at my bandages all the while. He shakes his head as he pulls herbs from his bag, setting the small jars on the bedside table. "You Elric brothers..."

I smile and glance at Ed, his eyes following Taylor's movements. I glance back down at my arms, my eyes widening as Taylor removes the bandages. The white gauze on the inside has been bloodied, but not overly so; it's much worse for my arms. Charred bits of flesh with raw, jagged skin intermixed. I shut my eyes and turn my head towards the window. How he had managed to put the bandages on without puking...

"You changed them every five hours as I instructed, correct?"

"Yes, Taylor."

"Go to the kitchen and fetch a bowl of water."

He tramps out of the room and I open an eye, glancing over at Taylor. "Can you fix them?"

"I believe so, but it's going to take a while..." He pulls a small vial from the bag and presses it to my lips. "Drink this?"

"What is it?"

"It'll help you sleep so you don't feel any pain."

I swallow the small bit of medicine as indication. It seems like ever since the attack that's all I've been doing; sleeping. As I'm sliding back into sleep I see Ed enter the room with the bowl of water. He smiles at me and presses a hand to my forehead. "You'll be alright."

As his hand recedes, I can feel a numbing sensation spread from my fingertips, up my arms, and then back down my body. I can feel myself floating in a black void, much like that of when I was unconscious. A soft flow fills the space around me, and I can see something off in the distance... I don't know what it is, but it's just an arm length away. I make myself drift towards it, my finger brushing against it. I let out a scream as it grabs my arm, pulling me in.

I'm thrown to the ground and I scoot back, images swirling around me. Edward, our mother, our father... Granny, Winry, and May... Izumi, Sig, and Mason... Hughes, Mustang, and Riza... Havoc, Fury, and Breda... Always in cycles of three. They always come to me three at time, always my family first, but I've never gotten farther in the dream. Everything fades to black after Havoc, Fury, and Breda disappear.

My eyes widen in terror as I feel them closing in on me, a warm sensation passing over my body as they seem to absorb into my skin. I let out a breath, watching as it turns into vapor as the air cools. I stay backed against a wall, my eyes resting on an approaching figure. "Father."

He smiles as he stops in front of me, his hands folded behind his back. "You have come a long way, Alphonse."

"What are you doing in my dreams?"

"Merely offering a warning message, young one. You may try as hard as you can to defeat me, but you never will. A simple flick of the wrist and a bolt of energy may have been enough to defeat Envy, but me? The Sins are merely a fraction of the power in which I hold." He steps forward and leans down so we're now eye to eye. "Remember than when you come for my head."

I'm about to say something, but he sinks his fingers into my chest. I let out another scream and I'm pushed from the void. My eyes snap open, resting on the worried faces of Edward and Taylor. I glance between them, a look of pure terror in my eyes. I feel something warm seeping through my shirt and as I look down, I can see a small dot of blood, just above my heart. I rip open my shirt, ignoring the ache of my arms.

I open and shut my mouth multiple times, trying to process everything that just happened. On my chest, just above the heart, is a thin continuous cut. I run my bandaged fingertips over the wound, dark red smearing the bandages. It's in the shape of the ouroboros.


	28. Weakness

**Hello my pretties; it seems as if we meet again. I know I've posted about this before, but I'm still sad this fanfiction is ending. It's my baby. :c All good things come to an end, I suppose. Ah well. This chapter shall be about... *goes to look through written out plot line* Ah, yes. About the dream Al had and all that jazz. Of course, there will be some drama; there's always drama when it comes to this. There may be emotion and a little bit of hate, but you'll find out. Oh, and there's another flashback in this so... Yeah. c: Truth rains down upon Ed and Taylor. And I'm sorry I haven't updated in a week; a bunch of stuff was going on. Sorry guys. :c  
><strong>

**Now for the clue. So far they have been; **_White, Question, Yes, Fire, Tears, Rain, Forever, and Future._** T****he new one is...**_ Black. _**Now if y'all haven't figured out at least part of the ending by now, then you're not as smart as I thought you were. There are 9 left, so keep a look out.**

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><p>"Al... Al!" I'm yanked from my daze by Ed shaking my shoulders; a look of utter terror is on his face. "Al, what just happened? Why is there an Ouroboros mark on you? What did they really do to you?"<p>

"Calm down, Edward. Give him some room." Taylor nodded to me as he pulled Ed back. He looked calm on the surface, but I could tell he was terrified. "Alphonse, what's going on?"

"I... I don't know. You guys put me under and I had... I had this dream. It was like Father was-"

"Father? I swear, if that bastard touched you-"

"Calm down, Edward. It was just a dream." I push myself into a sitting position and dab the cut with some gauze; the lines are perfect throughout, as if it was done in one continuous motion... As if someone had used alchemy to imprint me with it... "In the dream we were talking and then he put his hand on my chest and then I woke up..."

"Al?" Edward's sitting beside me now, fear still in his eyes. I hate that look; he shouldn't have to be scared. He shouldn't have to worry about me... He took care of me all those years, so shouldn't it be my turn to take care of him? "What really happened to you when you were over there?"

"I told you... Training and fighting..."

"They did something else to you. I know they did."

"Edward, they-"

"No. I'm tired of you ignoring me and beating around the bush. What happened?"

I glance down at my hands in my lap, closing my eyes as I see his cover mine. "Fine. I'll tell you."

_A sharp pain goes through my side as I feel the needles poke in; I should be used to this by now, since it's an everyday occurrence, but the pain from it still makes me jump. I never know when it's going to happen either; it could be right when I lay on the table of ten minutes from now when the doctor's stop chatting. I think they find please in causing their prisoners pain._

_Another, unexpected needle enters the base of my neck. I try to take a breathe, but I can't; my body goes numb from my torso down. I can't feel a thing. Panic begins to set in; I can't breath, I can't move... This is how it is everyday. They paralyze me, experiment on me... Push me further into the darkness than I did the first time I experienced it._

_Each time they pushed me further; passed the Gates, into the Darkness... Further and further into the Truth than any human should have to see. Things I had never seen before, never wanted to see, and would never wish to see again. Everyday I see more than the day before. They were testing my limits; how far I could go and for how long. From the way they treated me after they brought me back, it was like I was a god... A divine being that had survived Hell, which I pretty much had.  
><em>

_They then bring me back to full feeling and send me off to training; intense training - push ups, curl ups, running, strength and endurance... One right after the other, almost no breaks between. It was horrible, what they put me through, but well worth it when I finally earned their trust._

I blind a few times, my fingers still resting on the ouroboros mark. Everything they had put me through... Every bit of it mattered now. Father was coming back for me. He knew my weaknesses, my strengths... He knew it all. He had all of the information at his disposal, yet he wasn't using it... Not yet, anyway. Would he ever use it? He would hit me where it would cause the most damage, so the physical side of things are out. That would leave emotional and mental. He would probably do a combination of both, but he wouldn't harm me... That would be too easy. I could recover from anything he directly inflicted upon me.

So, if he wasn't aiming for me... Then who or what was he aiming for? Obviously the person or thing would have to be close to me... As I'm working it out in my eye, a blinding light envelopes the room. The next thing I hear is the shattering of glass and a bloodcurdling scream.

All at once, I'm regretting my decisions from the very beginning; going with him, escaping... The whole shebang. He used my weaknesses against me... He used my greatest weakness against me... He used the love I held for my brother. He was going to pay.


End file.
